Nightfall
by Black Angel
Summary: As Bella and Edward grow even more comfortable with one another, the world seems to conspire against them. But no matter how hard things might get, they will always have each other. COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

Nightfall

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He was trying to fight back, the look on his face told me that much, but it just wasn't happening. He couldn't look after both of us at the same time. The tracker had it easy, he was just trying to get rid of him so he could move on to the main course... to me.

I tried to scream as a warning when I saw the tracker's shiny white teeth, covered in my blood, sinking into his skin and tearing. Up until that moment I'd thought their skins were impenetrable. Edward roared in pain, physical pain, but his eyes widened when the tracker threw him on the floor and grabbed his wounded flesh. Edward turned his head to look at me, his eyes reflected so much sorrow and regret they made me sob even harder. I wanted to crawl to him, to hold him close and kiss him for what I knew for sure now would be the last time but I couldn't move. The only thing I could do was lie there, in a pool of my own blood, and cry.

He looked at me and time stopped, all my pain went away when he mouthed the words "I love you." And then the moment was over. The tracker smiled, grabbed another handful of Edward's perfect skin, and pulled. And my whole world came crashing down.

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I sat up sobbing, screaming Edward's name, shaking like a leaf and drenched in cold sweat.

A pair of iron strong arms circled me and pulled me back down on the bed.

"Bella, sweetheart calm down! Shh my love, it was a dream. It was only a dream."

His sweet breath and soothing words made my screaming stop, I turned around in his arms, wrapped myself strongly around his hard body and buried my face in his cold chest. He had successfully stopped the screaming, but not the sobbing.

He pressed his cold lips to my forehead and took a few deep breaths close to my nose. He knew his smell soothed me and the actual proximity to his face started to do the trick. After a few moments the sobbing turned into silent tears. He kissed the salty tracks on my cheeks, tasting those tears, and hummed my lullaby softly.

The calming process happened in what seemed like hours to me but in fact the time that elapsed from my screaming fit to my quiet cries had been almost nonexistent. I discovered this when Edward suddenly went still and cursed under his breath. Not a moment later I found myself alone in my bed.

I sat up, scared. "Edward!" I called out. I heard him shushing me from somewhere in the room and suddenly my door opened. Charlie ran in, wearing a pair of plaid boxers and a white undershirt.

"Bella! Oh my god are you okay?"

"Dad!" I jumped, surprised. Sometimes it was easy to forget I still slept in the same house as my father.

"Honey what's wrong? Did something happen? I heard you scream."

I sighed "I'm fine dad, I just had a nightmare." I tried to sound reassuring and calm, anything to get Charlie out of my room and Edward back in my bed.

"Are you sure? You sounded terrified. Do you need anything? A glass of water or a soda?" He hadn't moved from under my door frame, thankfully he still felt a little awkward around me and, most of the time, stayed out of my room. I was really trying to speed things along.

"I'm fine dad, really, I'm just lucky I didn't fall off the bed." I didn't mention that it probably had something to do with the fact that a strong, graceful vampire had been resting under the covers with me, clutching me to his strong chest.

Charlie looked relieved. He ran a hand through his messy hair and sighed "well if you're sure you are okay I think I'll go back to bed."

I smiled "I should probably do the same. I'll try not to eat so much before bedtime tomorrow night."

Charlie smiled weakly "You do that Bells, you really scared me there for a second."

As soon as my dad closed the door behind him, I felt Edward's arms circling my waist again. I took a deep breath and turned around to face him.

"So, same dream?" He whispered.

I nodded in the dark but I knew he could both feel and see me so I didn't bother with a verbal reply.

He sighed, frustrated. He rested his cold cheek on my forehead and rubbed my back "I never should've separated myself from you that night."

I kissed his bare chest "It all turned out fine. If a few nightmares are the prize I have to pay for everyone I love making it out of that experience alive then I'm glad to have them."

Edward mumbled something that sounded like "silly girl" and stroked my hair. "Go back to sleep Bella."

"Did you go home already?" I couldn't see if he was wearing the same pants from that afternoon, and he'd gotten the habit of taking off his shirt when he joined me in bed, so I couldn't be sure.

He shook his head and I made a face. "Don't worry my love, it's friday. You can go home with me in the morning. I'll stay all night."

I smiled against his chest and reached up for a kiss. His cold lips met mine, unmoving, for a few seconds before he tucked me back under his arm and pulled me closer.

Away from his worried stare I was free to think about that hideous dream. I'd been having it on and off for a few weeks now. Edward kept saying it happened because of the trauma that being under James's power had caused me and I'd agreed with him, at first. However, the tracker of my dreams looked nothing like James. Sure he was beautiful and had almost transparent skin and the same piercing stare that only vampires could accomplish, but he was huge! Almost a foot taller than Edward. And he looked way stronger, even more so than Emmett. Of course by then I knew that looks had nothing to do with the actual strength of a vampire. Part of me knew, as Edward insisted on repeating every time I talked about James, that if I were ever attacked again, even by ten vampires at the same time, my boyfriend would be able to defend me on his own.

As it turned out, if push came to shove, Edward's feelings for me made him almost invincible. His instincts would take over and he would kill anyone who even thought about going near me... or so he said. That dream, however, had planted serious doubts in me, even after he told me that was "not how it worked", that it was way harder to kill one of his kind.

By then Edward had gotten pretty good at identifying the nightmare before it ended in a screaming fit such as the one I threw that night. Usually at the first sign of whimpering he'd be on top of me, pressing his body gently against the whole length of mine, whispering soothing words in my ear and breathing steadily so I would know for a fact that he was still alive... or at the very least still kicking. He must have been distracted that night, or maybe I hadn't made a warning sound. Either way I knew he'd be paying much closer attention in the next few days.

As I remembered the dream tears rolled down my cheeks and into his arm again. He kissed the back of my head and whispered "I love you Bella. You are safe with me."

"I know I am, but what about you?"

He kissed my head again "I will always be fine, as long as I'm with you."

I smiled against his arm and hoped against hope that my nightmare was just that, a nightmare.

It was past ten when I woke up the next morning. Edward had kept his promise, he was still holding me close.

As soon as he sensed I was awake he kissed the base of my neck. My heart raced as it always did when he touched me, specially with his lips.

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"Good morning beautiful."

I smiled and turned around to face him. "Mmm did Charlie leave yet?"

My own, personal, greek god smiled "Hours ago. But not before checking up on you a few times I might add." He kissed my nose and I smiled. I wrapped my hands around his neck and ran them down his chest, where they came to rest next to his unbeating heart. His eyes flashed with something I'd been seeing a lot more lately. Something I could only categorize as lust. Once he'd gotten over his incredible hunger for me, after he had tasted my blood and decided he could stop himself from devouring me whole, his human instincts resurfaced, way stronger than before.

We were both painfully aware of the fact that we would not be able to do anything to satiate that human need for as long as I myself remained mortal, but that did not keep us from playing around a little every morning.

Edward flipped me gently on my back and parted my legs with his. He laid down on top of me and, with a soft and playful growl, covered my soft lips with his cold ones. I tried not to move too much under him, he still tended to run far away from me every time I'd let myself go and kissed him back too forcefully, so I very slowly ran my hands up and down his back while he caressed my face with his cold fingertips, his lips never leaving my own.

After a few moments, however, I grimaced. He frowned and pushed himself up on his elbows. "What is it? Do I have morning breath?" He joked. I rolled my eyes, if anyone had morning breath it would have had to be me, but after a month of me needing "human minutes" before kissing him every morning he assured me my morning breath was every bit as sweet and inviting to him as my "just brushed" breath, so I stopped.

When I didn't answer for a few moments he grew concerned. "Am I hurting you?" in a movement too fast for me to catch he was standing next to my bed.

"No, you did not hurt me, silly."

Edward's frowned deepened "then what's with the face?"

I wrinkled my forehead and, in what I'm sure was a very childlike voice, said "I have an itch."

Edward stared at me dumfounded for a moment before laughter took over him. His musical response which I loved so much, did nothing to alleviate my problem. I sat up, threw the covers off me and stared at the walking cast on my leg with hatred. "I'm so glad you're coming off tomorrow" I spoke to it as I reached for the pencil I kept in my night stand. I jammed it down my cast and scratched furiously, pissed at myself for ruining my moment with Edward.

He sat by the window and smiled while I scratched away. After a moment of furious jamming, my leg felt better and Edward walked over to the bed, lifted me into his arms, and took me to the kitchen.

"Feeding time for the human." He'd grown quite fond of that phrase. He sat me down on a chair and started making me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, one of the few things he could prepare for me without worrying about how it tasted. I gulped down my sandwich and a tall glass of milk while he watched, then he carried me back upstairs and into the bathroom. He produced a plastic bag from his back pocket, which he proceeded to tie to my casted leg.

"Can you shower on your own?" He asked as usual and, as usual, I said yes. Alice had stopped going to my place to help me shower ever since I'd gotten the walking cast. I was able to do pretty much everything on my own but that didn't keep Edward from worrying.

He waited in my bedroom while I showered and dried my hair. Then he carried me down the stairs and into my truck, which he drove to his house as fast as it would allow.

When we got to Edward's, Alice was waiting for us by the front door. As soon as my truck pulled up she smiled excitedly, jumped up and down a few times and then ran away. I glanced suspiciously at Edward.

"What's going on?" I asked.

He was by my door before I could turn my head around. "What do you mean?"

I narrowed my eyes "I mean Alice just told you something and I want to know what it is."

Edward smiled and cradled me to his chest. "It's a surprise."

A million things ran through my head right then "I'm not a big fan of surprises." I grumbled before adding "and I'm perfectly capable of walking around by myself you know? You don't have to carry me all the time."

He smiled at my annoyed expression "If I let you wobble around by yourself you'll probably break your other leg, not to mention it'd take forever. Besides, what would be the fun in that?"

I pouted while he carried me through the front door, up the two flights of stairs, all the way down to his bedroom door, which was closed. He placed me on the ground gently and grabbed the doorknob. "Close your eyes."

I did as I was told and resisted the urge to peek while he opened the door. Suddenly I felt gentle hands taking my own away from my face. I opened my eyes and gasped.

The big couch that I had gotten so used to had been pushed to the side of the room. In it's place stood a magnificent four poster bed. It was tall and huge, made out of dark wood. Edward picked me up again and laid me down on the comforter. It was so incredibly soft I felt like I was sinking into it. I was so awed I couldn't speak.

Edward laid down next to me and watched me struggle with words until finally I managed to choke out "wow, it's beautiful." I looked hopefully into his eyes "Why did you get a bed though?"

He took a strand of my hair between his fingers and pulled it behind my ear. "Well, now that you're getting your cast off I figured your dad would probably let you come and spend the night here with Alice every once in a while, considering he loves her so much. Since we have plenty of parental supervision I hope he won't mind much. I just wanted you to feel more at home here."

My smile had frozen on my lips. Although it was a very sweet gesture it wasn't exactly what I'd been hoping for. I tried not to let him know that though, it would probably just upset him. But in spite of my best efforts he read right through me, as always.

"Bella, what's wrong?" He pushed himself up with one elbow to look at me.

"Nothing. I love it. It was so sweet of you to think of me this way." I tried to smile sincerely.

He wasn't buying it. "You're upset. No, wait, you're disappointed. Were you expecting something else?"

"No! Oh no no, it's perfect! Really, the bed is amazing." No matter how convincing I tried to sound he was having none of it.

"Bella, please tell me what's wrong."

I sighed, I could never say no to that penetrating stare of his. "I just thought... I thought you'd bought this bed for us to... share."

He frowned "I did."

I could feel myself blushing "no I mean... really share."

His eyes widened in surprise "Bella! We've talked about this. You know we can't..."

"I know" I interrupted.

"Then how..."

"Well I was hoping..."

He sat up so suddenly he startled me "You were hoping what?"

I sighed again, we'd had this conversation what felt like a million times before "I was hoping you'd decided to turn me."

He growled in exasperation and let himself fall back down on the bed. "I will not get into this with you again Isabella."

Isabella... he really must have been mad.

"Edward! By now you should've realized I'm not backing down on this."

"Well neither am I."

"This is my choice Edward, when are you going to accept that?"

He rolled his eyes "Do not throw temper tantrums with me Bella, I'm not your father."

My jaw fell to the floor with those words. For a moment I felt hurt, then embarrassed, then just plain mad. It took all the concentration I had left in me to jump off the bed without killing myself in the process.

"Bella, where are you going?" Edward's voice had just a hint of regret in it.

"I'm gonna go throw my temper tantrums away from you." I made my way out his bedroom and into the bathroom at the end of the hall. I would've liked to have gone further but without my crutches there was only a certain length I could travel without falling flat on my face.

I closed the bathroom door, locked it, and leaned against it. I knew Edward was standing on the other side of it even before he spoke.

"Bella. I'm sorry, I didn't mean that. Would you please come out here so we can talk?"

I didn't answer.

"Bella? Don't make me break down this door."

I bit my lip and kept quiet. I knew he'd never even try to push the door open by force if there was any chance I could be leaning against it. And I knew he knew exactly where I was standing.

"Isabella Cullen! If you don't open this door right now..."

I froze. My hands quickly found the doorknob and I unlocked it as fast as I could. I opened the door slowly, my eyes wide.

Edward was standing on the other side, in his eyes I could see a hint of shock and... was that embarrassment?

"What did you just call me?" I whispered.

Edward had stopped breathing. With the little air he still had in his lungs he whispered back "I'm sorry."

I frowned "Don't be."

I raised my arms and he gratefully sank into my waiting embrace. He buried his face in my hair and whispered "I say your name like that in my head sometimes, just to see how it'd sound. I guess I've been talking to myself a little too much lately."

I smiled and leaned away from him to look into his eyes. "Isabella Cullen... it has a nice ring to it doesn't it?"

He laughed and lifted me by the waist. "Yes, yes it does."

As he carried me back to his bedroom I forgot all about our fight, for a while.

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That night when Edward drove me back to my house we discovered Billy's car parked on the driveway.

Edward groaned as he undoubtedly listened to both the thoughts and the conversation of the two men inside my house.

"What's going on?" I asked him.

"Apparently Billy's finally had enough of his cryptic warnings. He's telling Charlie that he should be careful with you. He thinks you're... too far gone." He said that last part with anger.

Edward's hands were shaking. I took them in mine to calm him down. He didn't even look at me though, he kept staring at the house as if he could somehow see the two men sitting in my living room. "He's telling Charlie what to watch for! If you get paler than usual all of a sudden or if you stop eating, if your mood changes or if... If you grow fangs! That's ridiculous! We don't grow fangs!" Edward was really mad, plus I could tell he was offended by the whole fangs thing somehow.

I couldn't help myself, I had to giggle at his expression.

"You think it's funny? The old man is in there trying to convince your father to forbid you to see me!"

I smiled "And what exactly is Charlie thinking just about now?"

Edward frowned, he concentrated a little and then mumbled "He thinks it's ridiculous, he thinks the old man is losing it."

I nodded, even thought I was upset with Billy for sticking his nose in my business so often I knew my dad had heard all that before, and I knew he'd never buy it.

"I'm going inside. Stay close." I reached out to kiss him gently.

He returned the light kiss "Always." He whispered. In a blink he was lifting me out of the truck and setting me down in front of my door. I opened it and wobbled inside.

"Bella! I'm glad you're home. How was your afternoon?" Charlie was clearly desperate for some sane company.

"It was fine dad. Dr. Cullen is going to take my cast off tomorrow. I'm starving."

Charlie stood up and almost ran to the kitchen. "Let me get you something to eat for a change." And just like that, I was stuck in the living room, alone with Billy.

"Please stop what you're doing." I whispered to him.

He turned around to face me "You took the words right off my mouth."

I sighed "Please Billy, can't you give it a rest? They are good people."

"I'm looking out for you Bella. I just want you to get as far away from them as you possibly can before you get sucked so far into their world you'll never be able to leave."

I stared into Billy's soft eyes while I said "Oh Billy, it's way too late for that." Then I turned around and limped up the stairs. My dad reappeared when I was halfway up.

"Bella, what about your dinner?"

"I suddenly lost my appetite dad. I think I'll take a shower and go to bed."

I jumped on one foot all the way to the bathroom, surprisingly without tripping. I got the tub filled with scalding hot water, slipped some bubbles into the mix, stripped down, wrapped my cast in plastic, lit a candle, turned off the lights and got in.

Once I was settled and sure that every important part of my body was well covered with bubbles I whispered urgently into the darkness of the bathroom "Edward!"

"That man can really get on my nerves." He was sitting on the counter by the sink, as comfortable as if he'd been sitting there all along.

I rubbed my forehead with my right hand. "I'm so glad Charlie isn't into urban legends."

Edward stared at me for a second and was suddenly kneeling next to the bathtub. "Are you feeling okay?"

I frowned "Yeah, I just feel a headache coming."

He rubbed my forehead, looking concerned. "You sure?"

I nodded. His beautiful face too close for me to speak coherently. I was suddenly painfully aware of the fact that I was completely naked under all those bubbles.

I must have blushed because he laughed softly and whispered in my ear "Don't worry my love, I won't peek."

I turned tomato red and, holding my breath, disappeared under the bubbles.

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"Coud someode just kill me now pdease?" I was sitting on Edward's living room, my head resting on his lap and my now castless feet propped up on a bunch of pillows. I was nursing the mother of all colds, something Emmett found very amusing.

"Be careful what you wish for in a house full of vampires Bella" He warned in a joking tone.

"Fine, could someone just Turn me now please?"

Emmett laughed wholeheartedly. Edward just scowled, never taking his eyes off the TV. Alice waltzed in just then, holding a box of tissues for me.

"Thank you Alice! You're a lifesaver!" I accepted the box gratefully and used one of the tissues to stop the endless stream of snot. Jasper appeared then and all of a sudden a sense of calm and wellness filled me.

"And thanks to you too Jasper. Now stay here for the rest of my illness." Jasper smiled. Edward finally took pity on me and bent down to kiss my burning forehead. He rested his cold cheek against my warm skin and I sighed. I was as close to being comfortable as I was going to get for a while.

"Here Bella, I made you some chicken soup." Esme set a tray of food down in front of me. I was so grateful to all of them, my adopted family. Carlisle had checked up on me before leaving for the hospital and Rosalie... well she hadn't said anything. But then again, she hadn't said anything.

I was just lying there thinking about how good my life was, in spite of the coughing, when suddenly it hit me. Something was wrong, something was very, very wrong.

Edward had stiffened. I looked up to see what had caused his stillness and that's when I saw her. Alice was standing next to the coffee table, her eyes wide. Edward let out a yelp and covered his ears with his hands "Alice! Stop yelling!" even though I couldn't hear a sound.

She had stopped breathing, her wild eyes flickered to mine for a fraction of a second. Edward sat me up and wrapped his arms around me. He pulled me to him with such force I was sure it was taking every inch of control he had not to crush me to his chest.

"What the hell is going on?" Emmett sat up straight and stared from Edward to Alice and back to Edward.

"Someone is coming." Edward answered simply.

Jasper ran to Alice's side. He'd gotten a pencil and a piece of paper from somewhere. She took them from him and her hand became a blur. She was drawing while she talked. "A group, maybe eight. They are still far away but they will come."

"Do they know we're here?" Esme asked.

"No, they are not coming here for us."

"Then why?" Rosalie had appeared out of thin air. She was covered in oil but she still looked stunning just standing there next to Emmett.

"One of them wants Bella." Edward answered for Alice.

Rosalie frowned "what do you mean "wants Bella"?"

Edward was mad, his lips trembled when he said "I mean he wants her the way I want her. Or at least he will as soon as he smells her."

Rosalie rolled her eyes, then she addressed me for what might have been the first time ever "Honestly girl, would it kill you to smell like everybody else?"

Edward growled deeply and Rosalie backed off. My eyebrows shot up in surprise but I said nothing while the vampires talked so quickly and quietly I couldn't quite make out their words.

I did catch the end of the conversation "So he's not hunting her yet?"

"No." Alice answered this time "But he will be soon."

And then I froze. Time stopped for me, I forgot to breathe, I forgot to think.

"Bella? Bella what's wrong?" Edward shook me gently.

"That's him." I whispered.

"That's who?" Edward frowned.

I pointed at the picture Alice had just drawn. "The tracker from my dreams. The one that kills us both. It's him."

Edward glanced up at Alice. Even though I was too terrified to think straight, I could still see her very faint nod.

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I'm sorry about the spelling and the grammar mistakes. English is not my first language and for some reason I'm in such a hurry to post this that I didn't even re read it after I wrote it. I tried really hard to resist being sucked back into the fanfiction world but apparently Twilight wouldn't have it. So here I am with my little story that won't ever begin to compare to the real thing but oh well, when the story calls I must answer ;)

So yes, to be continued.


	2. Alaska

Nightfall

Alaska

I pointed at the picture Alice had just drawn. "The tracker from my dreams, the one that kills us both. It's him."

Edward glanced up at Alice. Even though I was too terrified to think straight, I could still see her very faint nod.

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Everyone turned around to look at Edward then and the room fell silent. He had closed his eyes and was now standing there, unmoving. After a few moments his hand went up to rub his eyes and he yelled, "Will everyone please stop thinking for a moment! I can't order my thoughts when you're all talking to me at the same time! Ask her!"

I frowned as every pair of eyes except for Edward's turned suddenly to stare at me. Finally Emmett spoke "What dreams?"

I sat back down on the couch and whispered, "I've been having this dream lately... Edward and I are being attacked by that guy."

"And?" Carlisle prodded after I made a pause.

"And he wins." I said simply.

Silence fell over the Cullen's residency once again. When Esme spoke, she did so in a whisper. "He kills you both?"

I opened my mouth to say yes but stopped myself. A confused look spread over my face. Even Edward stared at me curiously when I didn't answer right away.

"I don't know." I confessed.

"You don't know?" Edward repeated. He sounded so mad his voice made me flinch.

"Well no, the dream always ends when he kills you but I'm still alive."

"But you've been bitten." Emmett interrupted.

I nodded. That much I knew for sure. I had felt that kind of fire only once before in my life.

"Wait, Wait!" Rosalie shook her head "So what if she's had some weird dreams? We might be used to Alice telling us about the future but let's all remember this girl is just a human. It's just a silly human dream of hers."

Her words felt like a slap to the face. She wouldn't even say my name. I once again wondered why she hated me so much. But then again, I desperately wanted her to be right.

Alice sat down next to me and took my hand. Edward was still standing. He had turned away from me and covered his eyes with his hands. Alice bit her lip "I don't know why she dreamed what she did but Rosalie, if it was that exact guy... I don't see them fighting, but I know it will get to that. He wants her, but I don't know what he'll do to her. He will kill you to get to her, Edward. There is only one way out of this one."

"No!" Edward's voice sounded broken, "I will not turn her." I could feel the pain in his voice even thought I couldn't see his face. I stood up, walked over to him and moved his hands away from his eyes. When his gaze met mine he pulled me into a fierce hug and buried his face on my shoulder. "Why does this keep happening to us? Why do you attract trouble like this, Bella? Why?"

Emmett whispered, as if not to interrupt his brother's laments "Just do it Edward, she'll be safe then."

"No!" Edward growled, "I will not end her life."

"You are right. I don't want you to turn me." The room fell silent again at my words. He looked up from my shoulder, a frown on his face. "What?" He asked. He'd gotten so used to me begging for his bite that it struck him as odd that I'd refuse all of a sudden. He looked, to be honest, a little hurt.

"I don't want you to turn me like this. When it happens, and it IS going to happen Edward, I want it to be because we both decided it. I don't want you to regret it or feel guilty about it, ever."

Edward stared at me in awe. He couldn't even find the words to disagree with me.

"Well Bella, we're open to suggestions here." Emmett threw his hands in the air at our stubbornness.

"How long do you think we have before they go through Forks?" I asked Alice, my eyes never leaving Edward's.

"I don't know. They'll probably be here in a week. They come from the south."

"Then let's go up." I told Edward.

"Up?" He asked.

"Yes, don't you have relatives in Alaska?"

Emmett let out a snort. I couldn't tell if it was because of my use of the word "relatives" or because he was once again amazed by the fact that a simple human like me could come up with an alternate plan.

"You and I can go up there for a week and wait for them to leave. By the time they get here my scent won't be so strong and they won't be able to follow us. We can come back once we're sure they are gone for good."

Carlisle smiled "You are forgetting one little thing." I frowned "What?" "School's already started Bella, how are you going to explain a week of absence to your father?"

"We can get married. We'll elope and that will be our honeymoon." Edward said simply.

My eyes widened "I won't marry you!"

He visibly flinched and moved away from me at my harsh words. He looked more hurt than I had ever seen him before. I spoke quickly to correct my mistake. "I mean I will not marry you now. Edward, it's the same thing as me being turned. The first time we get married I want it to be because we want to, not because I have to explain a week of absence to Charlie! Besides, I refuse to marry you until we can have a proper honeymoon, which means you have to turn me first. Not to mention I'm still a minor for another month and I can not elope."

He'd started smiling in the middle of my speech. By the time I was done talking he was grinning in spite of himself "The first time we get married?"

"Yes well, who knows how may weddings we're going have to have? I mean Emmett and Rosalie have been alive for less than a century and how many have they had? Six?"

"Just four actually." Rosalie answered.

"Let's get back to the matter at hand. If you two won't get married and you can't just leave, what are we going to tell your father?" Esme asked.

"We'll tell him Edward's birth father is very ill and he wants to go meet him before he dies. We'll have to go with parental supervision though." I looked hopefully at Esme.

"I'll go with you. I've been wanting to visit our old friends anyway." Carlisle offered. I could tell it wasn't just the old friendships he craved. He wanted to be there in case we ran into any trouble.

Emmett was staring at me "Kid, you never cease to amaze me. You have a killer mind." He looked awed. Rosalie slapped the back of his head.

Edward's worried frown had returned. "Alice, will that work?" Alice closed her eyes for a moment before answering, "It might. It's your best shot. But Edward, if things change, if it seems like something is going to go wrong..."

"If it comes to losing me or turning me he'll do it." I answered for both of us. He closed his eyes and trembled with the frustration that this situation caused him but he didn't deny my statement.

Carlisle was already at the door when he said "Let's go to Charlie, we leave tonight."

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Edward waited in the car while Carlisle and I talked to my father. He wasn't happy about me missing school for a whole week but he seemed to understand how important it was for Edward to have me there when he visited his birth father. Besides, he was incapable of denying anything to Carlisle.

They waited downstairs while I packed. As soon as I entered my room I discovered that Edward already had most of my winter clothes in a suitcase.

"We are gonna have to go shopping somewhere in Canada. If I take you to Alaska with only this things we're not going to have to worry about killer vampires."

I rolled my eyes and opened the drawer where I kept my underwear only to find it empty. A wave of embarrassment went through me then as I tried to remember if I'd at least folded my plain, white panties properly. Edward had his arms around me in an instant.

"Don't be embarrassed Bella, you have beautiful undergarments."

The heat spread through my whole body as I said "You know, I'm perfectly capable of packing everything myself." He kissed my cheek with his cold lips and whispered "You can go through my underwear drawer when we get back home if it makes you feel better. They are just clothes Bella. Besides, you have absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about with me."

I sighed. He was right of course, but still...

As I looked at my open suitcase, a horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach made me tremble. I sat down on the bed and grabbed my pillow. "I should probably take this right? I mean why would vampires have pillows? It's not like I can't sleep without one, I mean, you make a very nice pillow but soft pillows are nice to have around." I was rambling of course. I had suddenly realized that we were in deep trouble, again. Plus, if my dreams really were premonitions, Edward was in more danger than ever.

Sensing my panic, he knelt down between my legs and pulled me to him. I wrapped myself around him and held him close. "I will never let anything happen to you Bella. You are my life. I'd rather die than see you suffer."

"That's exactly what bothers me." Desperate tears filled my eyes "I can not exist without you Edward, my life started when I met you and it will surely end if you ever leave me. You don't know how alone I felt before you."

He let out a chuckle that sounded more like a sob "Oh yes my love, I do know." He took my cheeks between his cold hands and pressed his hard lips to mine. Tears rolled down my face and through his fingers while he held me. I completely forgot to breathe while our lips were touching. He noticed, broke the kiss and gently shook me out of my stupor. When I inhaled again, my head swimming, he smiled gently and rested his cool forehead against mine.

"Let's go, the sooner we get out of here the better." He let go of me so fast I almost fell flat on my face. When I turned around to look for him he was already gone. I grabbed my suitcase, threw my bag of toiletries and my sock full of money in it before closing it and hurried down the stairs.

Carlisle and Charlie were sitting in the living room. They both had cups of coffee in their hands, even though Carlisle's was almost full. They stood as soon as they saw me at the foot of the stairs. Carlisle hurried to take my bag and went to put it in the trunk while Charlie said goodbye to me.

"Take care of yourself Bells, stay safe." He stood a few feet away from me, awkwardly trying to decide whether to hug me or just let me go. I solved the dilemma for him when I threw my arms around his neck for an instant.

"I will dad." I was already halfway to the door when I said that.

"Wait Bella." I stopped and cursed to myself "Take this." He shoved a bunch of twenties into my hands. "Buy yourself a heavier jacket. Canada can be a very cold place."

I nodded and smiled. I was relieved to know Carlisle hadn't told him where we were really going. "Thanks dad."

"Hey, no problem"

"No, I mean, for being okay with this."

Charlie shrugged "That boy really loves you Bella, he seems to depend on you." It looked like he was still trying to decide if that was a good thing or not.

I gave him a tiny smile "I love him and depend on him too dad." I admitted. It struck me as odd that I didn't feel the tiniest bit embarrassed when I said that.

He nodded "Dr. Cullen is waiting."

I kissed his cheek and ran out into the pouring rain, closing the door behind me.

---------------------------------

It took less than 30 seconds for Carlisle and Edward to pack. Esme handed me a plastic bag that contained an apple, a sandwich, a chocolate and a soda. The Cullens had been nice enough to keep some food in the house for me at all times. A wave of love for all of them washed over me at the gesture.

Alice pointed at a small suitcase by the door. "I packed some of my winter things for you. Edward should take you shopping anyway, since my shirts and pants won't fit you, but the coats and gloves should be fine."

I frowned "You own gloves?" I knew for a fact she didn't need them. She flashed me a toothy smile "Hey, gloves can be very 'in' every few decades." I smiled for a moment but sobered up almost instantly. "Alice, I need you to do something for me."

She nodded. "Anything."

"I need you to tell me what's going on at all times. Edward might try to keep some things from me. If things seem to be getting too dangerous and it looks like he might get hurt..."

Alice brushed a strand of hair away from my face "Silly Bella, Edward can take care of himself. Try not to worry."

I refused to give in "Promise me Alice." She sighed in defeat and nodded. Then she held out her arms and I walked into her cold embrace willingly. I loved her like a sister. I was going to miss her a lot, even if we were only going away for a week. For some reason, I felt like I had to say my goodbyes properly. She reached into her back pocket and gave me a package of tissues. I laughed. I was so worried I'd completely forgotten about my cold.

"Just take care of yourself Bella, I'll look after the rest of us."

"And Charlie..."

"Charlie too."

I smiled and kissed her cheek. Her hand shot up to the spot where my lips had been for a moment. She seemed to be relishing in the warmth.

"No wonder Edward can't stay away from you, the heat of humans does feel good."

I remembered she had no memory of ever being touched by someone before becoming a vampire and for an instant I really understood why Edward refused to change me. But then the moment was gone and I was once again filled with the constant fear of not being with him forever.

I hugged Alice one last time before saying goodbye to Esme. Emmett ruffled my hair and just said, "Take good care of yourself kid. I kinda like having you around."

Rosalie was nowhere to be seen but Jasper was there. I smiled at him and said goodbye. He stuck out his hand, as if he wanted to shake mine. I offered my hand to him and he squeezed it between both of his. Immediately I felt calmer and very sleepy.

Edward flew down the stairs then, with Carlisle at his heels. He lifted me into his strong arms and I rested my head against his marble-like neck without protest.

"She'll be out for a few hours." I heard Jasper telling Edward.

"Thank you." His reply was the last thing I heard before falling into the deepest of sleeps.

--------------------------------

When I woke up screaming I was lying in the back of Carlisle's Mercedes. Edward had pulled me into his lap as soon as I opened my eyes and he started rocking me back and forth to calm me down.

"It's okay my love, you're safe here with me. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. You can relax now."

I couldn't understand what was happening. The images of Edward's death were still too recent in my mind for me to stop crying. He kept rocking me and whispering loving words in a soothing voice until I regained my bearings.

"Why are you sorry?" I asked him after I'd shaken the horrible nightmare from my mind.

"Because I didn't wake you when you started to dream." He kissed the top of my head and held me a little closer.

"Why didn't you?" I wasn't upset, just curious.

"We need you to get as far into the dream as possible so we can get some details. Bella I'm going to walk you through your dream like we do with Alice's visions okay?"

I hated the idea of reliving the nightmare but I knew it was necessary so I nodded.

"Were we indoors or outdoors?"

I shook my head "I'm not sure, I don't think there were walls around us but it didn't feel like we were out in the open."

"Was it day or night?" Edward asked.

"I can't tell, it was either cloudy or we were indoors... or maybe in the shade."

"Was it cold?"

"It's hard to tell, I couldn't feel anything over the pain."

"Where was the pain coming from?"

"All over."

"Were you bleeding?"

"Profusely."

Edward closed his eyes and let out a shaky breath. It took him a second to regain his composure.

"Where did he bite you? Was it a clean bite or did he tear your skin?"

I frowned "I don't know."

"Well where was the pain coming from?"

"I told you, all over."

"But where did it originate?"

"I'm not sure."

"Bella, if he'd just sunk his teeth on you, you'd feel the fire coming from there."

I rubbed my eyes with my hands. Tears of desperation had started to form. I felt like I was letting him down.

"Edward I don't know! I'm sorry I can't tell!"

Carlisle must have told Edward to calm down, or maybe it'd been the high pitch of my voice. Whatever the reason, Edward crushed me to his chest and started rocking me again.

"I'm sorry Bella I'm sorry. I'm just trying to understand."

"Well so am I." I replied.

He kissed me softly for a moment. "I love you, I want to make you safe. Everything I do, I do it for you."

I nodded "I know, I love you too."

"I think it's time for a break." Carlisle interrupted. Edward agreed. "That's enough questioning for now."

Carlisle parked the car in what I soon realized was the underground parking lot of a mall. Edward helped me out and wrapped his arm around my waist, holding me up. My leg was stiff from being in the car for so many hours, not to mention it was still weak from the months it'd spent in a cast. Looking back, it surprised me I'd been able to get through the day pretty much on my own two feet.

"We won't" Edward answered Carlisle's mental request for us to not take too long.

We walked through the mall as quickly as we could without arising suspicion. It was hard to go around unnoticed with Edward's inhuman beauty though. He quickly took me into a crowded clothing store and started grabbing as many warm garments as he could find. I managed to look at the price tag of one of the heavy coats he was carrying and my eyes widened.

"Edward, I don't need all this things! We're just going to be up there for a week! Besides, I don't have nearly enough money..."

"Don't be silly Bella. Besides, we never know what might happen. You might need them."

I scowled "Alice already leant me some coats anyway." Edward stopped short so fast I would've tripped over if he hadn't been holding me up with one arm.

"Bella, please, will you just let me spoil you? Just this once."

I sighed and rolled my eyes but didn't complain again. If buying things for me made him happy for the time being then I could deal. I'd talk to him later about this habit his family had of getting me expensive things.

He didn't even ask for my pants size when he reached the rack. He just grabbed a handful of the warmest ones he could find in an assortment of colors and threw the whole bunch on the counter. He slapped a credit card on top of the pile without even allowing me to try anything on but somehow I knew every single thing he'd chosen for me would fit perfectly and look better on me than anything I currently owned.

The girl behind the register had been staring at us the whole time we'd been in the store and looked a little surprised at our behavior. She would, no doubt, be telling her girlfriends soon about the incredibly handsome guy who walked into the store with an average girl hanging from his arm and spent exactly five minutes purchasing as many clothes as he could for her.

Edward grabbed the bag with my new clothes and guided me to the next store, where he proceeded to buy thick warm booths in three different colors and stiles. Three pair of boots were ridiculous, but I'd agreed to keep my mouth shut for the time being. However, when he waltzed me into a jewelry store I had to put my foot down.

"Edward no. I'll let you buy me things that are at least a little necessary but nothing as superfluous as this."

He rolled his eyes at me but left the store nevertheless. He guided me towards the food court instead and got a hamburger, large fries and a coke for me. He wanted me to eat it in the car but, in spite of his best efforts, my leg was too tired to walk any further at the moment. He would've carried me back but the mall was so full of people we were bound to attract even more attention to ourselves. Besides, we had time.

He sat down next to me and observed me while I ate. I gulped down a piece of cardboard tasting hamburger and said. "Edward, can I ask you a question?"

He nodded, so I continued, "Where did you get so much money from?"

Edward chuckled "Well, you are aware of the fact that we could rob a bank faster than the cashier could blink?"

I stared at him with wide eyes, he laughed wholeheartedly "Not that we'd ever have to resort to that. My family has been around for centuries Bella, or at least Carlisle has. And with the help of Alice's abilities we've been able to do reasonably well in the stock market."

I frowned "How well?"

"Well... we've pretty much owned a large piece of almost every major company at some point or another. We usually just buy at the right time, cash in soon afterwards and place the money in an offshore account. It helps us stay off the radar."

I tried not to let my jaw drop "An offshore account?" I'd only heard of those in economy class.

He nodded "The best thing men could've invented for us. It's made our lives so much easier. It's incredibly less difficult to disappear when you have unlimited resources."

I'd stopped eating all together sometime in the middle of his story. There were still so many things I didn't know about the Cullen's it amazed me.

"Bella, do you think you can walk now?"

I moved my leg around a little and grimaced. Edward sighed, threw my half eaten food into a brown paper bag, grabbed all our purchases in one hand and lifted me up with the other one. He wrapped his free arm around my waist and lifted me less tan an inch off the ground.

"Try not to put any weight on it. I'll carry you." And with that he dove into the crowd of people, walking as fast as he could towards the parking lot.

"Is something wrong?" I asked him in a hushed voice.

"Carlisle is just getting impatient. We really shouldn't have taken this long."

I looked at his other hand, which was carrying way more than a normal person could, and then down at my tired feet which barely touched the ground. One thing was for sure, being a vampire's girlfriend did have it's perks.

-----------------------------------

After a very long ride, in which I was contempt with just resting my head on Edward's lap and either sleeping or staring at him, we stopped at a gas station. I was pleasantly surprised to realize that the consuming panic that had taken over me the last time I'd been in a similar situation never came. It probably had something to do with the fact that my beautiful guardian angel was right there with me instead of being off chasing the man who wanted to kill me.

We'd stopped to refill a few times on the way and I'd slept through most of them, but this time Edward woke me up with a kiss.

"Bella, we need to buy some food for you. I doubt our friends will have anything for humans in their kitchen." I rubbed my sleep filled eyes with the palms of my hands and sat up. We seemed to be in a city. I'd fallen asleep while it was still dark, but it looked like it was maybe 7 am. Had we been traveling for that long? Or was it that little? I was totally confused.

"What time is it?" I grunted. My watch said four, probably a.m.

"It's early in the morning probably." Edward was looking inside one of our shopping bags that he'd dumped on the front seat at the mall. I frowned "My watch says four"

Edward smiled "That would be four p.m. Bella. Different time zones." I groaned. This was totally going to screw up my sleeping patterns when we got back home.

"Well, let's go buy myself some food." I opened the car door on my side and closed it again almost instantly. Edward was trying hard not to laugh at the look on my face.

"Is something wrong honey?"

"It's cold!" I shuddered. He laughed and handed me the long coat he'd taken from the plastic shopping bag. "This is Alaska Bella."

"Yes, but it's september!" Edward laughed again. He opened his door and was outside opening mine before I could turn my head around. I stumbled over my own feet and Edward steadied me, but then he let go of my arm. I frowned.

"You coming?"

He looked up at the sky. It was clear. He was standing safely in the shade next to the gas pump. Carlisle was checking the front tires, he was also in the shade. "Oh, right." I started walking again. It was amazing how used I'd gotten to the constant clouds of Forks.

A cold hand wrapped itself around my wrist, stopping my advances and throwing off my balance again. Edward handed me his credit card. "Get as much food as you can carry." I slapped the credit card back into his palm "Let me get my own food."

He opened his mouth to protest but I interrupted "Hey! You hunt your way, I hunt mine, and with my own resources."

It looked like he wanted to fight me on that but I stepped out of the shade quickly so he wouldn't be able to follow and almost ran into the mini market. There wasn't much to choose from. A few cans of tuna, some canned fruits and vegetables, a pair of sandwiches, cokes and an assortment of chips were the only edible things I could get.

Edward was scowling when I got back to the car. He was sitting on the passenger seat next to Carlisle and didn't even look at me when I got in. I sighed "Edward, are you mad because I wouldn't let you pay for my food?"

"I want to take care of you Isabella." He grunted.

I rolled my eyes "Edward! Taking care of me has noting to do with being the sole economical provider of this relationship!"

"Well you're my girl, you shouldn't have to spend a dime while you're with me."

I sighed, exasperated, and said without thinking "God Edward, what are you? Eighty?"

"A hundred and four actually." He said between gritted teeth.

I suddenly found myself at loss of words. I could think of nothing to reply to that. The car fell silent for a moment, until I noticed that Carlisle's shoulders were shaking ever so slightly with unexpressed laughter.

I started giggling and Edward smiled. Once the tension was broken Carlisle started laughing so hard it would've made it impossible for him to drive. If he'd been human, that is. I'd never seen him laugh like that, it was a beautiful thing to look at.

"Oh you think our fights are funny don't you?" Edward accused lightly.

"Well yes, I'd never had the privilege of observing a vampire/human relationship before now. You two would make a great sitcom."

"How are vampire vs vampire fights usually like? Are those really that different?"

"Well there's a lot more yelling, a lot more violence... and a lot more danger to anyone who watches." Carlisle was still smiling "Hey Edward, remember the time Emmett stared at some human girl in the street and Rosalie hit him so hard he went flying against a parked car?"

Edward roared with laughter "He left such a huge dent, Alice had to go hit it with a baseball bat a few times to cover the shape of his body on the side door."

I was a little confused "Wait, why was Emmett looking at another girl? It's not like there's someone out there who could compare to Rosalie."

"He was hungry! Just because we're on a diet doesn't mean we can't look at the menu right?" Edward laughed. Just the fact that he could so openly refer to humans as food in front of me without worrying about my feelings proved how far our relationship had advanced in the last few months.

"Wow, but what did Rosalie hit him with?"

"Well she didn't really hit him, she shoved him away from her. He normally wouldn't have gone flying like that but she took him totally by surprise." Carlisle answered.

"You should've seen them back at the house trying to explain why there was an Emmett-shaped dent on Mr. Smith's truck."

We all laughed again. When we'd settled down I asked, "How far away are we?"

"Not far. Our friends live in a house just a few miles away from this tiny town called Nenana. We're less than 60 miles away." Carlisle couldn't sense my sudden worry at his words, but Edward could. In an instant he was sitting next to me, his arm around my shoulder. "Don't worry Bella, they won't hurt you."

"I know that, but will they like me?" I asked, concerned.

Edward sighed, "I'd forgotten your annoying tendency to worry about the stupid little things."

I settled my head on his shoulder and smiled "Oh come on, you know you love me."

"Yes," he smiled against my hair "I do."

-----------------------------------

We'd gone off the highway about five minutes before I could see the house, even with Carlisle at the wheel, which meant it was pretty excluded.

Just like the Cullens' place, this huge house was completely surrounded by tall pines. The house itself was beautiful. It looked at least a hundred years old, was painted white and had an amazing looking porch with a swing. It looked like it had at least twelve bedrooms. It reminded me of home.

When we drove up I saw an older man, maybe in his sixties, although I doubted he was younger than the house. He had short white hair and a very handsome face. He was dressed elegantly but light in black dress pants, a navy blue shirt and a black coat. He didn't approach the car when it stopped, in fact, he hadn't moved at all.

Edward helped me back into the heavy coat and out of the car. He held my hand as we walked to meet the older vampire. Once we were standing in front of his elder, he wrapped his arms around my waist from behind.

"Hello Edward, it's nice to see you again." The man's voice was deep and smooth, the most beautiful one I'd heard other than Edward's.

"Hello Jonathan. Thank you for having us. This is Bella."

I reached out to shake his hand and he looked pleasantly surprised. "You are very welcome here my child. We are happy to have you." He smiled and looked into my eyes with a hint of curiosity. "I can see why Edward is so infatuated with you. You are a brave and beautiful girl. Smart too."

I blushed and his smile grew, he was clearly pleased. "Thank you so much for letting us stay here." I had to work hard to keep my voice from breaking. Even thought it was cold out my palms were sweaty. I was very nervous.

"You must be hungry." Even though I had just eaten in the car I nodded. I truly did feel hungry.

Edward stared at Jonathan warningly "Thank you for your concern Jonathan, but she just ate."

The older vampire nodded wisely "I know that, I just wanted to give you a chance to tell her more about us, as I'm sure you haven't done so yet."

I looked from Edward to Jonathan and back to Edward. "Bella, Jonathan can make you do whatever he wants. That is his gift."

I frowned "You mean like Jasper?" Jonathan answered "Well yes... and no. Jasper can make you feel what he wants you to feel, and he does so with his thoughts. I can make you do things, like eat with gusto when you are not hungry, and I do so with my words."

Edward smiled "Jonathan was very charismatic in his other life." The older vampire nodded and said "I wanted you to know this Bella because I believe trust is based on truth, and staying in a house full of vampires for a week requires a great deal of trust."

"Jonathan doesn't use his gift much, he thinks it's unethical." Carlisle was carrying an armload of blankets and my suitcase.

"And after a while it can also get very boring. I'd rather be surprised." Jonathan smiled at me.

"Come my child, let me give you a tour of the house."

All my fears about meeting Edward's relatives had faded away and I gladly followed Jonathan into his warm house. I felt very welcome and wondered if it had anything to do with him.

Edward walked next to me, his arm around my shoulder. As soon as we stepped through the door we met Ruth, Jonathan's partner. She too had a head full of beautiful long white hair and looked sophisticated and smart. I soon learned she had the gift of learning and absorbed knowledge like a sponge, every high school student's dream.

We met Ellen and Arthur in the dining room, which featured a magnificent table that could comfortably sit twelve. I wondered briefly why vampires who couldn't dine would have such a splendid thing. Then I figured if I never had to eat sitting down again but I had the opportunity of furnishing my own home, I'd buy a table too just out of habit.

I was a little surprised, but pleasantly so, when Ellen ran up to me, threw her arms around me and kissed my cheek. She had the ability to love to the extreme, which made it easy for her to be a "vegetarian"

She and Arthur were both physically in their thirties and looked every bit as sophisticated and cool as the other two. "So Arthur," I called him by his first name upon his request "what is your gift?"

"Actually, Arthur's gift is one of the rarest and most desired ones." Jonathan smiled "He can change his appearance at will."

I, who had turned away from Arthur when Jonathan spoke, snapped my head around to gawk at him and jumped out of my skin when I discovered two Carlisles standing before me.

"How does that work? Do you actually change your body?" I asked curiously. Arthur shrugged "We are not sure. If I change and look in a mirror I see the face of the person I became, but I don't know if I really look like them or if I just somehow talk them and myself into believing so."

I frowned "Well why don't you take a picture of yourself? You can't manipulate a photograph's mind." I finished my statement with a laugh. I had just been trying to make conversation but I soon realized the whole room was staring at me.

"Would that work?" Arthur asked Jonathan.

"It's worth a try."

My eyes widened "In all this years, you've never taken a picture of yourself?"

"Not while I was pretending to be someone else." Arthur looked somehow hopeful. I could tell it'd been bothering him for many years, not knowing.

"Oh but it's so stupid, do you really think it'll work?" I asked.

"Sometimes the easiest answer is the right one my child." Jonathan smiled at me kindly "You were right Carlisle, she is exceptional."

----------------------------------------

The other two members of the VanBeaullen clan were Abraham and Mina. He, like Emmett, had incredible strength. Mina had her compassion. I felt a pang of longing for everyone back home. I hoped with all my might that we'd be able to return soon.

Jonathan walked us to the room that Edward and I would be sharing. It felt weird having someone who looked like your grandfather escort you and your boyfriend to a bedroom... with a bed in it... for you to spend the night in.

The room was quite large. It had a nice stereo system in a corner, a small brown leather couch next to it, and a big four poster bed that faced a huge window which overlooked the forest surrounding the VanBeaullens' property. A nice big private bathroom connected with the bedroom. It had one of those classic white bathtubs with golden legs and two sinks. We were all standing around in the hallway once we were done with the tour.

"Bella, if you need anything please don't hesitate to ask." Ruth was looking at me with adoration in her eyes. It made me a little uneasy.

I suddenly wrinkled my forehead and my nose twitched. My upper lip trembled and I gasped.

Edward was in front of me in a flash "Bella, what's wrong?" I didn't answer, my strange behavior continued. "Isabella, are you alright?" He took me by the shoulders and tried to shake me out of my apparent trance.

I sneezed.

The room fell silent for a few moments, and then everyone burst out laughing.

"Oh my dear, that was delightful." Mina clapped her hands. Edward shook his head and handed me a tissue. "Excuse them, they don't go out much." He smiled at me to let me know he was teasing.

"Trying to stay away from temptation eh?" I asked them lightly.

"Not exactly." Jonathan's answer was just as light, but something in the way he said it made me feel like there was something more to his statement. Edward ushered me to the bathroom then, he wanted me to take a hot bath to warm up before my cold turned into pneumonia.

As I was lying in the tub I couldn't shake the feeling that, as honest as the VanBeaullens had tried to be with me, I was being kept in the dark about something big.

-------------------------------

Edward had left a fluffy bathrobe for me next to the tub. I slipped into it and walked barefoot to the room where my bag of toiletries was. I discovered that Edward had already unpacked all my things, old and new.

I took the bag back to the bathroom and opened it. I stared into it for a moment and then groaned and slapped my forehead.

"What's wrong?" I heard Edward's voice behind me. When I turned around I found him leaning against the bathroom door.

"I forgot my toothbrush." I said stupidly. "Could we go to a drugstore in town or something?"

"I'd rather not leave the house. I wouldn't want your cold to get worse." Something in the tone of his voice made me frown.

"You can borrow mine if you don't mind." He pointed at his electric toothbrush. Of course I didn't mind but I still had a bit of a problem. I turned beet red all of a sudden.

Edward frowned "Oh come on Bella, it's the same as kissing!" He sounded very reluctant to drive into town.

"No, it's not that. Your toothbrush is fine I just... I need to get something else." If I'd turned any redder I would've caught fire.

Edward stared at me for a moment before understanding what I was trying to tell him. "Oh!" He exclaimed. I was mortified about having to let him know about my girl issues. He could see that and rushed to my side. "Oh Bella, don't be embarrassed." He enveloped me in a hug.

"Well, this is not exactly the kind of thing a normal girl wants her boyfriend to know about." I mumbled but Edward chuckled "I think this is exactly the kind of thing a normal girl wants her boyfriend to know about. It's more like a necessity really. Besides, I always know."

I looked up in surprise "You do?"

"I'm a vampire Bella, of course I know." I shook my head. I didn't want to think about what he'd just said too much, it made me blush more than I'd ever thought possible.

"Tell you what, you stay put and have a snack or something. I'll go to Nenana and get you your things." I refused to have him buy those things for me, but he refused to take me with him, claiming it was too cold outside. I finally gave in, figuring he'd never take me if he didn't want to and I had no real way of forcing him to.

I looked out our bedroom window to watch him go. I discovered, annoyed, that the sky was packed with clouds. I'd been planning on taking a walk in the sun with Edward later. I could tell it was going to start raining soon and I really wanted to have a look around before it did, so I bundled up and walked outside.

I half expected someone to meet me halfway to the door and force me to stay inside, but no one did. I tried not to go too deep into the forest. I was amazed at the wonderful flora of Alaska, for some reason I'd always thought of it as icy and bare.

While I walked I started thinking about the group of vampires that were going to pass through Forks sometime that week. I was worried about my scent. Was a week really enough to get rid of it? Maybe I should've taken all my clothes with me instead of just my winter stuff.

To my dismay, I soon noticed I'd lost track of where I was going. I turned around nervously and silently cursed myself for being so distracted. I walked around for about fifteen minutes. The forest had been silent up until then but suddenly I could hear something approaching me. Several somethings, in fact.

I started to run away from the crunching noise leafs and twigs made when they were stepped on. I ran and ran, looking constantly over my shoulder. My heart pounded in my chest and my leg hurt like crazy. Suddenly the ground left me and I fell. I expected to connect with the wet forest floor but when I reached ground level I just kept falling. I landed in a dirt hole with a soft thud.

I quickly checked myself for injuries and discovered some sore spots, but nothing too bad. As I looked up I saw a pair of almond shaped eyes staring at me from above. To my surprise, they looked human. The hole was just deep enough so I couldn't get out on my own. It looked like a half made trap.

"Excuse me, could you help me out?" The eyes widened in surprise.

"I think she's human." The man told someone else. I shuddered at the comment... human.

"Excuse me?" I asked again.

An older man, probably around my father's age, with the same kind of almond shaped eyes and fair skin peeked into the hole. "What are you doing in the house of the damned?"

"The damned?" I repeated.

"Yes, the damned. We saw you leave their grounds."

I rolled my eyes. The situation felt just a tad familiar. "They are not damned, they are my boyfriend's family."

The man frowned "But you're human."

"Yes." Evidently Mr. Watson.

"We should dispose of her before they turn her into one of them." The older guy said.

My eyes widened. "Dispose of me?" That's when I saw the bow and arrow he was carrying. He pointed it at me and I cringed, waiting for the impact, which never came.

I heard a yelp, a thud and something cracking. When I opened my eyes again I was being stared at by Edward, who was standing right next to me. I shrieked both in surprise and at the look on his face. I'd never seen him so angry.

"Did I not tell you to stay inside?" He wasn't yelling, but something in the tone of his voice hurt my ears just the same. He didn't wait for my answer, instead he threw me over his shoulder and ran me to the house.

Once we were inside he yelled for Carlisle and sat me down on the dinning room table I'd been admiring just hours before. Dr. Cullen was quickly informed of how I'd fallen into a dirt hole. Edward was giving him a murderous stare, probably mad because he hadn't kept me from leaving.

Carlisle checked my legs. They were fine. Then Edward took off my coat and lifted my shirt so the doctor could look at my back. Edward hissed under his breath, bruises were already starting to form. Nothing seemed broken or displaced though, so Carlisle let me go fairly quickly. The VanBullens commented on how lucky I'd been, how if the dirt had been well packed I probably would've broken at least everything that had just healed recently. Edward didn't even look at me again.

He carried me to the bathroom and made me take another hot bath, then waited patiently while I got dressed. When I walked back into the bedroom he had some takeout Chinese food laid out on the coffee table. He stared into space while I ate, then sat down unmoving on the bed while I went to brush my teeth. When I got back he folded the covers, indicating he wanted me to lie down.

I did, obediently, even though it was barely dusk, and he laid down next to me. Out of either habit or concern he wrapped his arm around my waist.

After a few more minutes of unbearable silence, I just had to ask in a very small voice. "Edward, are you mad at me?"

"Go to sleep Bella." He grumbled. I took a deep breath and tried to keep my emotions in check with little success. It wasn't long before tears started rolling down my cheeks.

"Are you crying?" He didn't sound concerned, just surprised, which made me cry harder.

"I just hate it when you're mad at me."

He sighed and turned me around to face him. "Oh Bella, I'm not mad at you! You know that's impossible. I just wish you'd do as you're told every once in a while. Don't you know by now that everything I tell you is for your own good?"

I nodded but said under my breath "How parental of you."

Of course he heard my statement and lifted my chin with his cold finger. "As long as you're with me, you're stuck in the middle of a very difficult and dangerous situation. It amazes me how you seem to forget that you're constantly in danger of being killed. You have to listen when I tell you things, I'm just trying to keep you safe."

I buried my face on his stone cold chest. "I'm sorry."

Edward sighed again and held me close "I just hated the way those villagers were looking at you, the way they thought of you. They thought you were a monster."

"They thought I was one of you." I corrected.

"Same thing."

"No, it's not the same thing!" I sat up on the bed "It's not the same thing at all! Just because you are immortal and have to hunt for your meals doesn't make you a monster! Anyone would be lucky to be one of you. I would be lucky to be one of you."

"You are, Bella."

"No, you know what I mean."

He groaned and turned away from me. "We are not having this discussion again Isabella. I will not turn you."

"Why? Give me one good reason why you won't do it!"

"I've given you a thousand different reasons!"

"Well give them to me again!"

Edward sighed. He turned back around to face me and ran his fingers from my cheek to my chin. I closed my eyes and tried to keep my heart from racing. I was sitting cross-legged on my side of the bed by then and my feet tingled on response to his caress.

"I don't think I could bear never seeing you blush again, Bella."

"I could wear lots of makeup." My response was quiet but forceful.

He rolled his eyes. "It's not just the color, it's the warmth."

"You are being so selfish!" I gasped. His hand was still on my cheek, making it impossible for me to raise my voice. I had to concentrate hard just on breathing.

"Vampires are selfish creatures by nature."

"So are humans."

Edward growled and took his hand away. He was getting exasperated. Bad move on his part, as soon as his touch left me, the fog in my brain started to clear and I could think coherently again. "I can't do this to you Bella! I can't let you lose your humanity."

"Humanity is a noun, Edward. Humanitarian is an adjective and it's not exclusive to humans!"

Edward scowled "You know what I mean."

"No, I don't know what you mean! Are you telling me you won't love me anymore if my skin turns cold? Will you love me less if my heart stops beating? Will you be repulsed if I have to kill an animal with my own teeth to feed? Does your love for me depend on my human scent or my inability to walk in a straight line without falling flat on my face?"

I was yelling, I knew everyone could hear us fighting in our bedroom, but Edward made me so mad sometimes! He was pretty upset too, but he managed to wrap his arms around me in a fierce hug when he answered "Don't be ridiculous, Bella."

I closed my eyes and shed a few silent tears. "I don't want to die."

"You're not going to, I'll protect you always."

"I don't mean right now, I mean ever. I would gladly give up 60 years of walks in the sun and comfortably getting my meals out of the fridge for an eternity of twilights with you."

Edward shook his head "I refuse to condemn you like that."

"You're not condemning me, you're giving me a choice. Have you ever stopped to think that maybe the reason why you can't fully come to terms with who you are is that you weren't given a choice?"

Edward was shaking his head, but not in answer to my question. I was getting to him. I took his hand and placed it on my neck, over my racing pulse.

It was a bad move on my part. He freaked out and leaped out of bed before I could really feel his touch leaving me. In a flash he was by the door. "The answer is no, Bella." And he left the room.

I sighed and got under the covers again. I'd pushed him too far too fast but I could tell I was getting to him. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little scared. The idea of suffering for three days, the knowledge that I'd have to lose contact with my parents before they noticed that I looked like a seventeen year old no matter how many years passed, the fact that I'd never be able to truly satiate my hunger, it all made me uneasy. However, it was nothing compared to the way I felt when Edward wasn't around, the inexplicable pain in my chest when he left me for more than a couple of hours, the tingle of fear that made it hard for me to breathe whenever he went hunting.

There was a knock on the door then. I figured it was probably Carlisle coming to see if I was okay. Imagine my surprise when the door opened and Edward walked back in.

"Bella, I don't want to fight you, especially not now. I know it's easy to forget the troubles back home when we're all the way up here but you are in danger. I can't afford to have you mad at me."

I sat up again and patted the space on the bed next to me. He sat down without a glance in my direction.

"I don't want to fight any more than you do Edward, but we've been dancing around this issue for months! We need to agree on something here, whether it's on doing it or not, or even agreeing to disagree."

"I vote for that last one." He grumbled.

"No, if we agree to disagree then we have to set a date for us to talk about this again. I'm not giving up that easily, after all, time is in your favor. But maybe if we do that we can stop dancing around each other so much."

Edward still wasn't looking at me, but he gave me a faint nod so I took his hands in mine and asked, "Edward, what are you so afraid of?"

He closed his eyes and sighed in defeat. "It's taken me almost a century to come to terms with what I became the night Carlisle changed me. It's like living on borrowed time, except you're not really alive and time means absolutely nothing to you. Humans have a purpose Bella! They are born, they grow, reproduce and die like every other living thing on this planet. We have no purpose! No reason for being here, no hopes, no dreams, no nothing. We just walk among the living knowing everything we do means squat. We are here merely to help with population control."

He finally turned around to look at me. I didn't even realize I was crying until he reached up to dry my tears with his cold fingers. "When I look at you Bella, I see someone so full of life, full of dreams, of purpose. I can not be the one to take that away from you."

Minutes elapsed in complete silence. I could see a little bit of triumph in his eyes, mixed with a lot of sadness. He clearly thought he had me beat.

"Your life does have meaning Edward. You are my purpose. You stayed alive for this long to save me from a life of conformity and utter discontent. I never really felt right until I met you. You are here to show me what life is about, and it has nothing to do with a beating heart. I'm convinced that I was born to love you, and that I'm meant to die for you, with you."

He stared at me with his beautiful intense eyes full of love. I knew that if he could've cried he would have, right then and there. "Well, you're right about one thing Bella, you are my reason for being here, you give meaning to my existence."

"Then let me exist with you forever."

I took his face in my hands and made him stare into my eyes so he'd know I was being sincere. "I don't want to grow old, I don't want to get gray hairs or wrinkles. I don't want to spend my life looking like Mrs. Robinson when I'm with you."

My voice softened "I don't want to lose you. I don't want to live without you. I don't want my life with you to end in less than seven decades. I want you forever. I'll want you always."

He sighed, "Bella, it's hell."

"It'll feel like the North Pole compared to what it'd be like knowing my time with you is finite."

He was starting to look defeated. "You will never be a part of society again."

"Society is highly overrated."

"You'll never have children."

"There's always adoption."

Edward looked like he was about to fight me on that one so I interrupted. "I don't need anyone besides you. We'll cross that bridge if and when we ever get there."

He sighed, "You'll lose everyone you know."

"I'll still have you."

He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples.

"Don't you want this Edward?"

"Oh Bella, more than anything."

"Then please, please make me yours forever."

He took a deep breath and after a few minutes of silence gave me an almost imperceptible nod. I let out the breath I'd been holding and smiled.

I made him sit back on the bed, so his back was resting against the headboard, then straddled his hips and moved my hair to the side, exposing my neck to him.

"No!" He shook his head.

"Edward..." my voice sounded tired.

"Bella, we have to plan this. We'll do it during the Christmas break so you can spend some time getting used to it before going back to school. You'll be eighteen by then, you can move in with me so I can watch over you at the beginning."

As much as I wanted to just do it then and get it over with I knew he had a point, so I nodded and rested my forehead on his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around me again and held me as close as humanly possible. I thought hopefully of the day, a few months from then, when he wouldn't have to hold back.

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Again, sorry for my grammar and spelling. Things will get interesting in a while, so don't worry. Thank you for your wonderful reviews, Oh! Do me a favor please, if you see that I keep making the same grammar or spelling mistake over and over again let me know! This is a good learning experience for me.


	3. Phoenix

Nightfall

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_**Phoenix**_

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He wrapped his arms around me again and held me as close as humanly possible. I thought hopefully of the day, a few months from then, when he wouldn't have to hold back.

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After a few minutes of cuddling, Edward took me downstairs —in my pajamas, no less— to talk to Carlisle. He sat me down on a stool in the kitchen and tossed me an apple for me to eat while he explained to his "father" how and when he wanted to transform me.

Carlisle glanced at me worriedly from time to time, always looking away quickly. He seemed happy for us though, and respected our decision. He even volunteered to be on call in case something went sideways and offered Edward a few tips.

After our little chat, Carlisle suggested we call Alice to tell her the good news. Edward refused. I think he was still worried about his decision. I really wanted to talk to her though, so I insisted he let me call.

A few moments of heated discussion later, he agreed to let me use the cell phone as long as I didn't tell her about me being turned. He claimed it was still too early to be telling people about it.

I dialed Alice's number quickly and sat down to wait for her answer. I was amazed when her voice said "Hey Bella!" after just one ring.

"Alice! Hi, how are you?"

"I'm great! I miss you! Oh, wait! I'm glad you called, I saw this thing in a magazine yesterday that would be perfect for your hair! I really can't wait for you to get back, I got so anxious yesterday I went shopping and got you a great pair of shoes. They have a bit of a heel, but I'm sure you'll be okay. You have Edward at your side twenty four hours a day anyway, I'm sure he'd never let you fall on your face."

She made a pause to take an unnecessary breath. I used that moment to interrupt "Wow Alice, that's great. Although I am a little worried about those shoes. To tell you the truth, I'm worried about you guys buying stuff for me, period. I'm soon going to start having a problem hiding the stuff from Charlie, you know?"

"Well you can just keep a closet full of clothes here, silly! It's not like you don't already have a few things in Edward's drawers. Oh by the way, I threw away those hideous pants you use in bed and bought you a cute pair of pajamas. Don't worry, it's not a skimpy little thing. My brother would kill me if I made it any harder for him to behave while you sleep."

I just had to smile. I really did miss Alice a lot. She was the perfect girlfriend, even if she did tend to rant a lot. "Well as long as it's comfortable and covers enough skin. Oh hey Alice?"

"Yeah?"

"How is everyone?"

I could hear the pause in her voice "Everyone is great, Bella."

"Alice?" I repeated.

I could hear her sigh before saying "There is no sign of those guys. I haven't even had the vision again. I don't know what's going on! I don't know if you leaving changed their plans somehow or if my vision isn't supposed to come true for several months..."

"But I thought you knew when it was going to happen."

"I did too, but now I have no clue. I think it would be safer for you to stay up there for the rest of the week as planned though. If anything changes I'll let you know."

"Okay." I said reluctantly, not because I didn't want to spend a week with my gorgeous boyfriend doing absolutely nothing but stare at him, but because it made me uneasy, not knowing.

"So anyway, about that hair thing. We might have to cut some of it off, your hair is way too long for the look I want to try on you."

"No! I mean... let's not change the length too much. I like my hair long."

I hoped she hadn't caught the urgency on my voice, but she had.

"Bella?" She asked.

"Yes?"

"Why don't you want me to cut your hair? It grows back, you know?"

"I know! I just prefer it long. Besides, it'd take forever to grow back."

She wasn't buying it. I could almost hear her smile on the phone.

"Oh my God, you talked him into doing it, didn't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." I answered, trying to sound clueless.

"Oh you did! I don't believe it!"

"Alice..." I started.

"I mean I see him doing it all the time! On my visions I mean. But he somehow always manages to resist. Oh this is great! When is he going to do it?"

Edward walked into the living room where I was sitting and stared at me pointedly. He had probably heard my end of the conversation and wasn't too happy about the direction it'd taken.

"Tell me!" Alice urged.

"I can't." I said through gritted teeth.

"Oh, Edward is standing right there isn't he?"

"I can hear you Alice!" Edward raised his voice.

Alice giggled on the phone. "Bye Edward! And don't you think for a second I'm going to drop this one!" She blew me a kiss and hung up.

I placed the cell phone on the coffee table and glanced apologetically at Edward. "I tried to keep it from her, I really did! But she started talking about cutting my hair and it won't have a chance to grow back..."

Edward moved to my side in the blink of an eye. He stopped my rant by placing a cold finger to my lips. I smiled against his perfect skin.

"What are you smiling about?" He asked, a hint of a smile on his own face.

"I'm happy!" I kissed his finger and he gave me a lopsided grin in return.

"Come on," he picked me up in his strong arms. "Let's get you into bed."

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That night he touched his lips to mine gently for what seemed like ages. I breathed his scent through my nose, which had cleared up thanks to some cold medicine he'd grabbed for me in town, and relished the feeling of his perfect, cold lips against mine.

Before I fell asleep I asked, "Edward, why were those two guys hunting me in the woods? They had traps built around the VanBullens' land."

"Our friends had a bit of a problem when they first moved here. Mina is a very recent addition to their family, she was not at all used to being around humans. Only her love for Abraham made her try long and hard to adapt. She finally did. I'm talking about many decades ago, but when she first came here, she... ate someone."

I raised my eyebrows. "Don't be scared, she's much better at this now. She felt really bad after what happened. Besides, she'd never hurt you."

"I'm not scared. I was wondering how the VanBullens have managed to stay in this house for so many decades."

Edward chuckled, "Well, they don't go out much. Anyway, the husband of the woman she fed from swore to avenge her death, stupid little man. Fortunately for us, no one ever believed the vampire story. But that didn't stop the guy from buying the surrounding land and patrolling it to make sure it doesn't happen again."

Edward tucked me under his arm and continued his story "I do kind of admire his efforts though, specially since he'll never be able to do any harm. I used to think he was just a sick and obsessed old guy who couldn't move on with his life."

"You used to think? What changed?"

I could feel his smile against my forehead. "Well, you. If something ever happened to you, I would personally hunt the culprit down and torture him to death."

"Well, after you change me, you won't have to worry anymore."

"No, after I change you the culprit will be me."

I sighed. "We really need to work on your attitude towards this whole thing."

"Look, just because I agreed to do it doesn't mean I'm ever going to like it. I'm only doing it because it seems to be what will make you happy, even if I know you might regret it later. It just looks like you'll never be satisfied unless I do it."

"Well you're right about that." I wiggled out of his grasp so I could be face to face with him. "But you are also wrong about one thing. I will never regret it Edward, I'm fully aware of the consequences of my actions. I'd never ask you to do it if I had any doubts."

"I know, I know." He kissed my lips again. "Go to sleep Bella."

That, I didn't argue.

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I woke up once during the night, bathed in cold sweat. Edward had recognized the nightmare early enough to avoid any screams, but not the quiet cries.

He rested his body over mine, lifting my shirt a little to make sure my skin could come into contact with his. His hands framed my face as he slowly hummed my lullaby. It'd become a routine. He rocked me back to sleep after the nightmare had passed.

The sun was already rising when I woke up a few hours later. I reached out to find Edward on his side of the bed, but touched only cold sheets.

"Edward?" I asked groggily. When he didn't answer I sat up. I saw him sitting on the couch by the window, his face buried in his hands. The white skin of his fingers was being lightly touched by sunlight and it glowed, making him look like the most beautiful of angels. Like an angel in pain.

"Edward?" I asked again and got no answer. I left the bed, my bare feet touching the cold, wooden floor and making me shiver. I approached him slowly, and carefully placed my hand on his shoulder. "Edward, what's wrong?"

He sighed and, without looking at me, answered, "How can I take your life, Bella? The sole thing I ever swore to protect."

I sat down on his lap. His hands left his face only to circle my waist.

"I'm going to die eventually, and it will probably be in an accident or from some painful disease. It will catch me completely by surprise. I'd rather die on my own terms and for a reason."

"I know." Edward buried his face on my neck "I do know, it's just going to take time for me to adjust to the idea."

I framed his face with my hands and kissed his lips softly. "We have time, Edward. Just don't back out on me."

He nodded. "I'll try."

I kissed him once more before running off to take a shower.

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As we walked down the stairs that morning, I could smell something a lot like bacon coming from the kitchen.

"Oh Bella! Good, go sit at the table. Your breakfast is almost ready." Mina intercepted us at the foot of the stairs and guided us towards the dinning room. When we got there my jaw dropped. The table was set for nine. Beautiful china adorned every place. Candles had been lit, even though it was light out, and in front of one of the places sat several covered dishes.

Jonathan, Arthur, Abraham and Carlisle were already sitting. They stood up smiling when I walked in.

"What is all this?" I asked curiously.

"Well my dear, we don't get guests very often. In fact, this table had never been used! We just thought this would be a good time for all of us to sit down and chat, like the old days." Ellen sounded giddy. I smiled at her enthusiasm and sat down with Edward by my side.

Ruth immediately started to fill my plate with eggs, bacon and pancakes. They all sat down and watched me carefully while I took the first bite. I was amazed at how good it all tasted.

"Wow, this is great!" I said sincerely. Ruth clapped her hands in delight. She'd probably studied a whole cookbook the night before.

Suddenly, the unthinkable happened. I bit my tongue, hard.

My hand flew to my mouth and my eyes widened in both surprise and pain. "Bella, what's wrong?" Edward asked. All conversation had stopped at my sudden behavior.

"Oh I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" I said, my voice muffled by my hand.

"What happened?" Edward asked again, even more concerned.

"I bit my tongue and it's bleeding."

Edward sighed in relief, everyone at the table chuckled.

"Don't worry, my child. We can handle a few drops of blood." Jonathan smiled warmly at me.

I blushed at how stupid I'd probably looked.

"Just swallow really fast until it's all gone." Edward requested. I could tell he'd stopped breathing. I washed all the blood down with my orange juice.

"I thought blood made you faint." Edward teased once it was all gone. I shrugged. "I didn't even think about it. I was thinking about you. I hate making things harder for you by being clumsy."

He smiled sweetly "You know, I'm going to miss that clumsiness when it's gone."

"Yeah? Well I'll be glad to have something that can even remotely be considered as balance."

Edward chuckled and leaned close to me to whisper, "Eat quickly, there's something I want to show you."

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After I was done with my wonderful breakfast, Edward took me back to our room and handed me a small plastic bag.

I reached inside with a frown. My eyes widened when I discovered a baby blue bikini.

"Edward, you do realize it's cold out don't you?"

He smiled "Just trust me. Go change into that and wear your long coat over it."

I raised my eyebrows but did as I was told. The bathing suit, surprise surprise, fit perfectly. It was a halter top with thick straps and had little white flowers embroidered on the sides. The bottom was pretty too.

I wrapped the coat around myself. It was one of the many Edward had gotten for me the day before. It reached all the way down to my toes. I walked out of the bathroom, barefoot, only to find Edward waiting for me.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"You'll see." He lifted me into his strong arms and carried me to the stairs without waiting for me to throw on some shoes. I was more than a little surprised when he walked up instead of down. He took me to a large terrace on the top floor, it was surrounded by tall, exotic plants.

As soon as he set a foot outside, his skin started to glow like a million diamonds. I was mesmerized by this, and silently thanked the heavens for the sunny day.

He sat me down next to what I soon realized was a steamy hot tub.

"Oh wow, this is beautiful." I managed to whisper.

"I know, the VanBeaullens really know how to decorate."

"I was talking about you, but whatever."

Edward gave me a half smile and unbuttoned his shirt slowly. My eyes followed his fingers, no matter how hard I tried to look away. Every new inch of revealed skin glowed brightly.

His pants went next. I was too embarrassed to look while he took those off, even though he was wearing his bathing suit underneath. Once he'd ridded himself of all the excess clothing he jumped into the hot tub and sighed in relaxation.

"Come on, Bella. You're getting cold."

He was right, of course, but I felt just a little self-conscious about letting him see me with so little on. He could, as always, read the look on my face perfectly.

He got out of the jacuzzi, dripping wet, and approached me. Any normal person would've shivered, he was as comfortable as if it were a hundred degrees out.

I would've probably tried to get away from his wet body if he hadn't been staring at me with those golden eyes that left me breathless. All I could do was stand there and wait for him to reach me. He walked slowly and, just as slowly, reached out to touch the collar of my coat. He used both hands to push the piece of clothing off my body gently. His stare bathed my body with warmth as he looked down to admire my exposed skin.

One of his hands reached out to trace a line from my ear, down my side, to my belly button. I shivered, but not from the cold. He wrapped his arms around my waist and lifted me off the ground, so I could stare into his eyes without having to look up. I didn't even notice his icy, wet bathing suit touching my legs. My skin was on fire from the contact with his.

He walked over to the hot tub and sat me down on the marble seat. The warm water, which was deep enough to cover me from the neck down, felt good around me, but not as good as Edward. As soon as he sat down next to me, I climbed into his lap and leaned against his chest. He smiled.

"Now this is what I call a perfect moment." He whispered in my ear. I bit my lip when he ran kisses from my lobe, to my chin and back again. My lips tingled and ached to touch his, so I turned around on his lap to face him.

When he kissed me, I had to concentrate hard on behaving. I did allow myself to run my hands down his shining arms, which were firmly holding me to him. He placed one hand on the small of my back to pull me closer and the other one on my cheek, probably to make sure I didn't press too hard against his lips.

He broke the kiss suddenly and with a frown.

"Bella?" Carlisle's voice scared the lights out of me. I jumped and turned to find him standing above us, right on the edge of the tub. I blushed scarlet because of the position he'd found us in. Edward hadn't moved an inch.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but Charlie is on the phone." He handed me the small, silver cell phone. He'd probably given Charlie the number while I packed. I could tell he was worried.

"Dad? What's wrong?" I tried to keep the panic out of my voice.

"Bells! Don't be scared, nothing's wrong. No, I mean, something is... but it's not serious. You need to call your mother."

"What happened?" If my mom had called Charlie, something was seriously off.

"I'm not sure. She called here, looking for you. She was in tears. I asked her if she was hurt and she said no. Not physically anyway. She sounded bad though, I told her I'd find you."

"Okay, thanks dad. I'll call her right now. I'll let you know what's going on later."

"All right, take care Bella."

"I will dad."

When I hung up I was shaking. I dialed my mom's number as fast as my fingers would allow. The warm water suddenly felt like a brick of ice surrounding me. I was still sitting on Edward's lap. He tightened his grip around me but didn't say a word.

"Hello?" My mom sounded terrible.

"Mom? What's wrong?"

"Oh Bella, where are you? Charlie said something about Canada!" I could tell she'd been crying.

"Yeah. Mom, what's going on?"

"Oh sweetie, Phil and I got into a huge fight. I really need you right now."

"I'm right here. Tell me what happened."

"No, I mean I need you to come home."

I was so surprised by this whole thing I stupidly asked, "You're in Forks?"

"Of course not, I mean I want you home! To Arizona!"

I literally stopped breathing for more than a few seconds. It took me so long to answer, my mother had to ask, "Bella? Are you still there?"

"Mom... I... what happened?"

"I caught him cheating on me! It was horrible! He denied it, of course but I saw him! Bella... I think we're getting a divorce. I really need you to come home." She'd started crying again. I really hated hearing her pain but I was left speechless. I just sat there, on Edward's lap, and shivered.

Edward lifted me up and sat me down by his side. Then he got out and grabbed a large towel from a pile next to the tub.

"Mom, I'm sorry. I'm going to have to call you back."

"Why?" She asked between sobs.

"I just... I'll call you in a few minutes okay?"

"Bella..."

I hung up just as Edward was lifting me up by my arms. He wrapped the fluffy towel around me and carried me to our room in record time. He sat me down on our bed and started drying my legs while he waited for me to say something.

"She wants me to go to her." I finally whispered.

"I heard." Edward toweled my hair dry and then went over to the closet to get me some clothes. He handed them to me and turned around respectfully, waiting for me to get dressed.

I didn't even think twice about getting dressed with Edward in the room. My mind was running a thousand miles a minute. When he sensed I was done he sat down on the bed, next to me.

"You should go, she needs you. It might do you some good to be away from me for a while anyway."

I turned my head slowly to look at him, my mouth wide open. "Are you mad?" I shrieked, "I can't be away from you! Who knows how long she'll want me to stay! I can hardly stand not seeing you for two days when you go hunting! How will I ever survive without you for weeks?"

"Bella, it's for the best. Maybe this is a sign..."

I was so scared I started hyperventilating. "No Edward, don't leave me! Don't make me go!" I sounded like a child but I didn't care. Tears rolled down my cheeks freely.

He quickly took me in his arms and sat me on his lap. His wet suit soaked my jeans in seconds but I didn't even notice. I clung to him for support as my head started to swim.

"Bella calm down, I'm not making you go anywhere. Please breathe, come on."

"I can't be away from you, I can't move back with my mom."

"Okay, okay, it's your decision. But Bella, she needs you!" He stroked my back soothingly.

"And you don't?" I tried hard not to sound hurt.

"Of course I need you. Hell, I don't think I can exist without you, but she's your mother."

"I've been the parent in that house for too long. I've always put her feelings and her needs before mine. But I can't do it now. Not this time."

"Okay. Let's do something. Why don't you go to your mom's for the rest of the week? Calm her down. I'll go get you on Saturday and we'll take it from there."

"Can't you come with me?" I knew I was being selfish. In Arizona, he'd have to be indoors all day.

"I'll need to go hunting soon, I doubt there are many places for me to do that there. Besides, I really do want you to take a few days and think things through, without me there."

I was still crying. The idea of not seeing him for a whole week was inconceivable for me. I knew it had to be done though, so I nodded.

He handed me the cell phone again and waited while I called my mom back.

"Mom?"

"Isabella! What is going on?"

"Nothing. Look, hold on okay? I'll take the first flight I can find. But mom, I'm only staying for a week, then I have to go back."

"Bella..."

"We'll talk more when I get there, mom. Please, just stay put and wait for me. I'll call you soon."

After I hung up Edward made me change my jeans again while he packed the few clothes I'd be able to wear in Phoenix. He barely gave me time to say goodbye to the VanBeaullens. Carlisle had probably informed them about my situation already, because they all met me at the door and wished me good luck.

I stared at my hands for most of the fast drive to the nearest airport. Edward bought me a ticket and checked my bags while I ate a sandwich that tasted like cardboard. I doubt anything would've tasted good right then.

I'd have to switch planes twice, which I hated. I sat, unmoving, on an uncomfortable chair while we waited for my flight to be announced. When it finally was, I started crying again.

Edward surrounded me with his arms and kissed my forehead repeatedly, whispering words of comfort and love.

"I love you Bella, please try to stay away from trouble. Call me as soon as you land."

I nodded but refused to let go of him. "Bella." He pushed me gently away from him and held my face in his hands. "Listen closely to me. I love you. You are my life. Don't worry about me. I will be there in a week to get you, no matter what. If you see anything strange, anything out of the ordinary at all, please let me know."

I nodded through my tears "I love you too."

He kissed me tenderly and then let me go. He watched as I walked to my terminal. I felt like a death row prisoner walking to the electric chair. I got into the plane, with a sinking heart, without looking back.

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My mom threw her arms around me as soon as I stepped foot out of the plane. She cried on my shoulder and cursed Phil at the top of her lungs. People were staring.

"Mom, can we go home? We'll talk there." I convinced her quickly which was kind of surprising, my mom can be the quite the drama queen. Don't get me wrong, I love my mother and was very happy to see her. I was secretly glad to have one last chance to be with her before Edward turned me. I couldn't help but feel like I'd rather be in that amazing hot tub with him than in a stuffy airport with my mother though.

I drove us to her house, a place I could no longer think of as home. Home to me was wherever Edward happened to be. She started telling me her heart-breaking story as soon as we were alone in the car. Apparently she'd stayed behind, when Phil went to one of his games out of town, to get some new furniture for the house. She'd seen something that reminded her of him and had decided to surprise him. When she got to the hotel where he was staying, she saw some girl leaving his room.

There'd been lots of screaming and throwing of clothes. Like I said, my mother likes her drama. He'd tried to explain himself telling her that the woman was just a friend, but she didn't believe him. I just drove home, not saying much. I usually prefer staying away from her guy troubles.

When we got to the house I got my bags out of the trunk and went upstairs to unpack. My mom followed me, of course. She was still ranting about Phil when we got to my room. I stood at the door, sighed, and looked around. The place looked exactly like I'd left it. A few candles and a couple of picture frames that I'd been too lazy to pack were still sitting on the dresser. The bed was made, the drawers still held my summer clothes which were too light for Forks. A wave of melancholy hit me like a ton of bricks. I dropped my bag on the floor and went to sit on my bed.

My mom opened the suitcase and started to unpack. I didn't even notice she was doing it until she stopped talking for a moment.

"Bella? When did you get this?" She held up a cute little blouse with thin straps. It was light green and had a little lace at the top. It was beautiful, and looked expensive. Edward had probably gotten it for me at our little shopping trip without me noticing.

I realized I hadn't once seen all the clothes he'd bought. He had packed them himself, so I was suddenly overwhelmed with love for him. I'd seen him just a few hours ago, but I was already missing him like crazy.

I knelt down next to the suitcase and sorted through the clothes. "I went shopping in Seattle a few weeks ago." I answered my mom's question. Lying whenever Edward was concerned was now second nature to me.

"But honey, this things look really expensive. How did you afford all of this?" I found a new pair of jeans, a few t-shirts and some socks. I couldn't contain my laughter when my fingers found a little black thong. I knew Edward had probably just gotten it to tease me. I also knew he'd probably packed it by mistake. What my mom grabbed from the bag next took me completely by surprise. She held up a large, white, button down shirt. It was Edward's. That, he'd packed on purpose.

My mom raised an eyebrow. "Bella? What's going on?"

"Nothing mom. I just found a really good sale." I tried to play innocent.

"I'm talking about the shirt."

"Oh, that must be Charlie's."

She wasn't buying it. She sat down right there on the floor and asked, straight out. "How are things with that boyfriend of yours?"

I decided to answer sincerely, "Great, really great."

"Oh, well are you two planning on keeping a long distance relationship? Because you know as well as I do those hardly ever work."

I groaned inwardly. Apparently we were going to have that conversation right then. I sat next to her and looked at her straight in the eye so she would know I wasn't kidding.

"I'm not staying here for long mom. I really do need to go back at the end of the week."

My mom pushed her hair away from her face and gave me her best mom-stare. "Isabella, this is not open for discussion. I really hoped I wouldn't have to set my foot down but honey, I'm home now. You're staying here."

I sighed, "It's the middle of the school year mom, I can't just pick up and leave everything! Besides, I kinda like living with Charlie. He needs me."

"I need you!" She whined, "Bella, I don't think I can make it through this without you."

"You can, and you will. I just... I can't stay."

"You've always hated Forks honey, I'm giving you the chance of coming back to your life, your real life."

I was getting exasperated "I have a real life there, mom. I have real friends and real responsibilities."

"And a real boyfriend?" She asked. When I didn't answer she rolled her eyes. "Isabella, you can't change your life over a crush! You'll have other boyfriends."

"I'm not only staying because of Edward." That wasn't entirely a lie. I loved all of the Cullens.

"Honey, don't make the same mistakes I did. Don't leave everything for a high school boyfriend. "

I saw no point in lying to her then. If I was going to leave her alone I might as well give her a good reason for it. "He's not just a high school boyfriend mom. He's not some random guy I just happen to be dating while I'm there. I love him."

I could see she was trying hard not to roll her eyes again. That made me a little mad. Had I not supported every crazy relationship she'd ever been in? I'd always hoped she'd extend the same courtesy to me.

"Bella, you are too young. You don't know what love is."

I shook my head "You don't understand. Edward is my life. I'm going to be with him forever. I can't live without him! I can't stay here! I will not stay in Phoenix!" Tears blurred my vision as I tried hard to make her believe me.

My mom stood up and frowned "Isabella, you're being a baby. You have to stay here and that's final."

She walked out of my room and closed the door. I sat on my bed and cried until the emotions of the day and the jet lag caught up with me and I fell asleep, clutching Edward's shirt to my chest.

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When I woke up a few hours later, I realized how incredibly childish I'd sounded. I figured my mom was probably being such a pain about Edward because of her own recent experience with men, and me blabbing about my feelings for him probably hadn't helped. I decided right then to let the matter drop. I'd fight her on it again on Saturday.

That afternoon I got up, walked downstairs and apologized to my mom for being such an ass. She asked me to forgive her for dismissing my feelings so quickly, but made no reference to the living arrangements, which was a relief.

We talked some more while I cooked dinner. I did most of the listening, since the last thing she seemed to want to hear was me talking about my perfect boyfriend. Since Edward had basically taken over my life, that didn't leave me with many topics of conversation.

After dinner I suggested watching a movie, just so I could get a couple of hours of peace and quiet. While my mom stared intently at the television, I thought about what would happen once I became a vampire. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to upset my mom and run away from home, that would give me an excuse to not stay in touch with her much. It'd make it easier for me to cut ties later on.

When the movie ended I went upstairs under the pretext of being tired again. I took a relaxing hot shower and then wrapped myself in a towel. When I opened my bag of toiletries to get my hairbrush I saw something that made me burst into tears. Edward had packed his toothbrush instead of my new one.

Some people might find it disgusting, using someone else's toothbrush, but to me it was just such an intimate, private thing. I was still crying when I got to my room. I changed into a pair of shorts and Edward's white shirt and climbed into bed. I knew for sure I'd be unable to sleep without him and I was right. The last time I saw my alarm clock before exhaustion took over me, it read five a.m.

An hour later a honk outside my window woke me up. It was the neighbor's carpool. I didn't even try to fall back to sleep after that. I sat on my bed and listened to music until I heard my mom moving around the house. I went downstairs to have breakfast with her. She'd made some questionable-looking pancakes, which would've probably been hard to swallow even if I hadn't been carrying around a lump the size of Texas on my throat.

"Honey, why don't you call some of your old friends today? It might do you some good to reconnect." My mom suggested. I had to try hard not to make a face. Sure, I'd met some nice kids at school in Phoenix. I'd even gone as far as to call them my friends. Until the Cullens walked into my life, that is. I just wasn't in the mood for small talk, and I knew if I called my old acquaintances they'd want to know about my new life. While I was away from Edward, even thinking about his name could make me tear up.

"Well mom, I thought maybe you and I could do something together today."

My mom smiled widely "Oh that sounds wonderful Bella, what would you like to do?"

"Well, how about we go grocery shopping first? The fridge is almost empty. We can also buy loads of junk food and maybe rent some movies. We can have a sad movies marathon tonight and cry ourselves to sleep." Since I was probably going to do the crying thing anyway, I might as well turn it into a bonding thing. My mother was thrilled.

So that's what we did, all day long. We ate, talked, watched movies, and then talked some more. I was exhausted by the time I got to bed that night, so I only tossed and turned for a couple of hours before sleep took over me.

That night it happened. To tell you the truth, I was amazed it hadn't happened the night before. The running, the bleeding, the goodbyes with Edward, the hunter, the tears, the screams, the cold sweat. My mom came running to me as soon as the hysteria began, of course, but she wasn't Edward. She had a very hard time calming me down after the nightmare.

Minutes passed in a blur of tears. Before my mind cleared up, I screamed Edward's name and reached around the bed trying to find him. All I got was my mother's soft, warm body. She was terrified, almost as much as I was. She held my head to her chest firmly and whispered for me to calm down. It took a while, but my brain finally understood that it had just been a nightmare.

"Mom, I'm okay. I'm sorry if I scared you." My voice was muffled by my mother's chest. She let go of me gently and placed her hand on my sweaty forehead.

"Bella what was that? I thought you were being murdered in your bed!" Satisfied with my temperature, she sat back on the edge of my bed and stared at me intently.

"It was just a nightmare. A very vivid one, but still a nightmare." I took the sleeve of my shirt and used it to dry my face. My mom's eyes widened when I did that and I frowned. Then I looked down at myself and blushed furiously when I saw why.

I was wearing Edward's shirt again, she hadn't seen me in it the night before. "Is that Charlie's shirt?" She asked, her eyes squinting.

"Yes." I tried to sound convincing, but of course she wasn't buying it. However, she decided not to say anything about it, and for that I was grateful.

"You were screaming." She stated the obvious.

"I was scared." I returned the favor.

"You were screaming your boyfriend's name. Was he doing something to you?" She was trying hard to sound calm. I admired her efforts.

"No mom, of course not. He was being hurt by someone else."

Even though my mom was right there with me in the room, even though I knew Edward could never get hurt, I still felt alone and uneasy. I reached for the phone on my nightstand and dialed his cell phone number.

"What are you doing? It's four o'clock in the morning!" My mom raised an eyebrow.

"He'll be up." I waited for the phone to ring, but he answered before it did.

"Oh my love I'm sorry! I forgot about your nightmares." He said before I could even greet him.

"Edward." I whispered, grateful to hear his voice.

"I'm right here, I'm okay. I love you." His words soothed me more than anything else in the world, except for his touch.

I wanted to tell him how much I missed his body next to mine, how I craved his presence in my bed, how even though I had his shirt on and his smell around me, I still needed his breath to feel safe. Since my mom was right next to me, looking at me as if I'd just grown a horn, all I could say was "I miss you."

"I miss you too Bella. Now lie down again, hang up and I'll call you from a landline."

"Okay." I whispered.

My mom was still staring. "You should not be calling boys at this hour."

"I've had this nightmare a few times before. I can never go back to sleep unless I know he's okay." I was getting good at the whole half-truth thing.

"Well it's weird Bella." She stood up and crossed her arms.

The phone rang then. "Can we talk about this in the morning?" I asked her before answering.

She raised both eyebrows in surprise at my rudeness but left my room anyway. I predicted another monster fight during breakfast the next day, but it didn't matter. As long as I got to talk to Edward, I wouldn't mind having to fight a whole army on it.

"Hello?" I answered the phone.

"Would you like me to hum for you?" His deep voice filled my senses. I raised the collar of his shirt so it would be closer to my face and laid down under the covers. "How about if you tell me a story instead?"

He snorted, but even that sounded graceful coming from him.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing, I just felt like a grandfather all of a sudden."

"Well, you're certainly old enough to be." I smiled.

"Are you complaining?" He said it lightly, but I could tell he was waiting intently for my answer.

"Not at all, I like my men experienced."

He laughed wholeheartedly. "You know as well as I do that if I tell you a story you'll hang on to every word and won't get any sleep."

I shrugged, even though he couldn't see me. "Yeah, you're right. Fine, hum me to sleep."

He started to, and I closed my eyes contently. "Bella?" He asked after a minute.

"Yes?"

"I won't be able to answer your calls after tonight. Will you be okay on your own until Saturday?"

I sighed. I wanted to ask why, I wanted to complain, I wanted him to be with me every day, all day long. Instead I whispered, "Yes, I'll be fine." Not because I truly believed it, but because right then, what I really needed was for him to keep humming. I fell deeply asleep with that magical sound and woke up hours later to the beat of the dial tone.

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The next morning was chaos. My mom woke me up at seven a.m. by opening my curtains and flooding my room with sunlight. I groaned and pressed the pillow to my face.

"Isabella, get up. We need to talk." She sounded mad. She probably hadn't slept, because I'd never seen her up before nine unless she had work.

"Mom, can't this wait? It's ridiculously early!" Even though I'd never be able to go back to sleep now, I wanted to put off the inevitable for as long as I could.

"Get up, get dressed and come downstairs. You have five minutes." I took that as a no.

I dragged my feet to the bathroom. After brushing my hair and changing into jeans and a t-shirt I stood at the top of the stairs and took a deep breath. I was going to have to fight her, hard. I could see the war coming and it was going to be epic.

She was sitting on the couch, two cups of coffee in the table in front of her. I sat down next to her without saying a word.

"Bella, something is very wrong here." That's my mother, always right to the point.

"What do you mean mom?"

"You're behaving like a stranger. You are disrespectful and childish and you want to stay in Forks? It sounds like you've had a lobotomy!"

I covered my eyes with my hand so she wouldn't see me rolling them. "You're overreacting mom. Look, I know you're going through a very hard time in your life. I know you thought Phil was the one and now you're alone again but mom... I just can't help you anymore. I can't keep putting my life on hold for you."

"When have I ever asked you to do that?" She raised her voice.

"Never, I've always done it on my own. I've always cooked for you because you can't even make toast without burning it. I clean after you because your idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance. I wash our clothes because I got tired of buying white underwear and ending up always wearing pink. I moved to Forks so you could start your new life with Phil without me being in the way! And you know what? I did all of these things gladly, because I wanted to make you happy. I know how much you gave up by having me so young, and I've spent most of my life trying to make it up to you. I love you mom, I really do. You're my best friend and the one person I can always count on and trust, but you have to understand. When I went to Forks, something happened. I met the one person that would do all of that, and anything else, for me. Edward makes me feel safe, mom. He's just perfect."

"Everyone has flaws, Bella." Renee interrupted.

"Even his flaws are perfect. He's it for me. I know I'm young, and I know he's my first boyfriend, but that only means that I was lucky enough to find my destiny at the first try. He is the man I'm going to be with for the rest of my life. That's why I can't stay here with you."

She took a sip of her coffee and got up. "Come on, let's go."

"Where are we going?" I asked, a hint of hope in my voice.

"To your old school, we need to get you back in there soon or you'll end up missing too many classes."

My heart sank. "Mom, didn't you hear a word I just said?"

She sighed and stopped by the door. "Of course I did, I just can't let you do it."

"Do what?"

"The same mistakes I did when I was your age."

I was too stunned to say anything, so I just sank back down on the couch.

"Bella, when I met your father I thought he was it for me too, I thought I'd be happy with him forever! And then I got married. And then I got pregnant. And that was it. You have so much potential Bella. You can go to college and have a career. You could travel the world! Why tie yourself down now?"

I shook my head. "It's different mom, I can't explain why..." She was already walking to the door again. I had to tell her something, anything.

"Mom wait!" She stopped, but didn't turn around. "Give me a few days, just until the end of the week. I'll make an effort to try to adjust."

"This is going to happen whether you want it to or not." She didn't even look at me.

I groaned. She'd chosen the wrong time to be parental. "I know. I just need time. Just a little bit of time."

She sighed but dropped her keys on the coffee table. "We will go on Monday."

I let out the breath I'd been holding. She'd left me no other choice. I'd have to run away with Edward on Saturday.

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The rest of the week was stressful, to say the least. I'd given up sleep altogether, knowing that the nightmares would only make my mom more determined to keep me in Phoenix. I was deeply depressed and spent most of my time in front of the tv. I could think of nothing but Edward. I ached for his touch constantly. My mom walked around the house looking worried but still sure of her decision. She made many attempts at cheering me up, but nothing worked. Part of me hoped that if she saw me sad enough she'd take pity on me and send me back home.

By Thursday I was going insane with loneliness. I knew I had just two more days before I got to see Edward, but that also meant I had less than 48 hours to be with my mother. That's why, when she suggested going shopping for new school clothes, I didn't object. I wanted to buy something nice to surprise Edward with anyway.

We walked through the packed mall quickly. I was heading straight to a little store where I'd seen some cool clothes a few months back, but my mom stirred me in the direction of a jewelry store near the other end of the mall.

"Bella, you're turning eighteen soon. I want to buy you something nice. Maybe a bracelet."

"Mom, seriously, I don't need jewelry. Why don't you get me a shirt or something instead?"

My mom shook her head. "Your grandparents got me a bracelet when I turned eighteen. I've always treasured it and I plan on giving it to you someday, but for your birthday I want you to have something new. I've been saving up for this."

I sighed. It was a nice gesture. When we got to the store we stood in front of the window and looked at some necklaces through the glass.

"Maybe you can get something with a nice, little stone in it. How about a garnet? I know it's your favorite."

I was about to tell her I had a new favorite when my eyes fell upon a pair of earrings made out of large topaz stones. They looked just like his eyes. The color was almost exact. I could feel my eyes watering up. I wanted to fight back the tears, I really did, but the pressure of the whole week, the lack of sleep and my need for Edward just crashed down on me at that moment.

I closed my eyes, but the salty tears rolled down my cheeks anyway. "Bella? What's wrong? We can get you something else!" My mom sounded alarmed but I could barely hear her. My head was swimming with thoughts of Edward, of his piercing stare, his perfect face, his godlike complexion, his smell.

I suddenly realized I was afraid, terrified in fact, of never seeing him again. Insecurity combined with stress made me thing that maybe he'd reconsidered, maybe he'd decided not to be with a simple human after all. Maybe he would leave me for good, why else would he have asked me not to call him anymore? It made me dizzy. I started hyperventilating.

"Bella! What's wrong?" The tears turned into sobs. I had to lean against the wall to keep myself from falling. "Mom, I have to go back to Forks." I managed to get out between cries.

"What? Bella, what does that have to do with anything?"

"I have to see him again mom. I can't breathe without him. I can't think, I can't eat. I haven't been able to sleep in days! I need him mom! I need him!" I was almost screaming. People were looking over in alarm. A crowd was starting to form.

"Isabella calm down!" My mom hissed. My vision was blurry, probably from the lack of oxygen. "Breathe slowly, Bella, just breathe slowly!"

I couldn't stop the tears, no matter how hard I tried. I hated making scenes, but the situation was beyond my control.

Suddenly I caught a whiff of something familiar and delicious. Something I craved more than life itself. I looked up immediately, my eyes searching the crowd. My heart skipped a beat when I saw him. There was no mistake, he was standing just a few feet away, dressed in black from head to toe, and he was staring at me.

I started walking towards him, pushing my way through the crowd without noticing. When I saw him do the same I broke into a run. He met me halfway. My body collided with his and he lifted me into a fierce hug. I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him back with all my strength. His smell overwhelmed me, his cold skin pressed against mine in the most delicious of ways. He set me down, just so his hands could cup my face. I stared deeply into those beautiful eyes I loved so much.

"Edward." I whispered.

He silenced me with the most wonderful kiss.

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_I wrote those last two paragraphs while listening to the last minute of the song "Everything" by Lifehouse. It was a bit of an intense experience._

_Congratulations to the person who noticed the name thing. You know your vampires well. This story has many twists and turns ahead. If this chapter seemed unnecessary or slow to you… well I must tell you the truth, I just had to get it off my chest. No, I'm kidding, it does have some relevance in the future._

_It takes me about a week to write chapters this long, so I'm sorry if it seems like it takes me forever to update._

_Oh, I'm taking my TOEFL test next Saturday, so wish me luck! (I'm very nervous, hehe.)_


	4. Goodbyes and Welcomes

**Nightfall**

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Goodbyes and Welcomes

-

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_I started walking towards him, pushing my way through the crowd without noticing. When I saw him do the same I broke into a run. He met me halfway. My body collided with his and he lifted me into a fierce hug. I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him back with all my strength. His smell overwhelmed me, his cold skin pressed against mine in the most delicious of ways. He set me down, just so his hands could cup my face. I stared deeply into those beautiful eyes I loved so much._

_"Edward." I whispered._

_He silenced me with the most wonderful kiss._

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I forgot about everything else. All that existed in my world for a few moments were Edward and myself. I felt like I was floating. And then, it was over. Edward pulled away and frowned.

"Why did you stop?" I complained.

"Your heart stopped beating for a moment there." He smiled and rested his forehead against mine. I breathed in his scent, his delicious smell, his being.

"I missed you so much." I whispered.

"I missed you too, more than I ever thought possible." He used his fingers to dry my tears. I'd forgotten all about my panic attack.

"Not that I'm complaining, but what are you doing here?" My lips were inches away from his own, just so I could breathe in his breath.

He closed his eyes, which made me suspicious. "Well..." he confessed, "I've been here all week."

"What?" I was so stunned I took a step away from him.

"Come on Bella! You didn't honestly believe I'd leave you all alone after what Alice saw a week ago did you?"

My jaw dropped. I wanted to throw something at him. "I was in pain! Physical pain, from being away from you and you've been here all along?" I shrieked.

"You think it was easy for me? Watching you toss and turn all night long, hearing you scream for me and not being able to go to you? Knowing you were depriving yourself of food and sleep because of me? It killed me Bella!"

"Then why did you do it?"

"I had to make sure." He lowered his voice.

"Make sure of what?"

He pulled me close to him and whispered in my ear "Make sure I'm really what you want. I needed to know that being with me wasn't something you were going to regret later on. I had to be certain that this is what you really need."

I looked up into his eyes "You wanted to know if I'll miss my human life once you've change me." It was a statement, not a question. He just nodded.

I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him once more. Then I whispered. "Are you convinced now?" He nodded again. Relief flooded my senses. There was no question about it now, he would change me during the winter break, and he'd do it without regrets.

"Bella I was so scared when I saw that crowd forming around you. What happened?" He placed his cold hand on my cheek. It felt great, and I noticed I was still sweating a little from my breakdown.

"I saw a pair of earrings, the exact same color as your eyes."

He chuckled and rested his forehead against mine once more. "My beautiful Bella, what am I going to do with you?"

"You can start by taking her home." Renee's voice interrupted my little heaven. I closed my eyes and prepared myself for the fit she was probably going to throw. Then she continued, "Home to Forks."

I snapped my head around to stare at her "Mom..."

"Bella, I'm sorry. I've been imposing myself on you. I thought I was saving you from some horrible fate by keeping you here but the fact is, all those rash decisions I took as a teenager did get me something more than regrets, they got me you."

My eyes teared up once more. "I'm not saying you should run off, get married and start a family right now. In fact, I'll kill you with my own two hands if you do. I just realize now that I won't be able to keep you from doing what you want, what you think is right. I should probably just trust your decisions. After all, you've always been the adult at our house."

"Oh mom!" I hugged her briefly. She then turned to Edward. "Now you better take good care of my little girl. If you ever lie, cheat or make her feel bad about herself in any way, I'll chase you around with a frying pan. Are we clear?"

Edward smiled "Very clear. Don't worry. I love your daughter more than I do myself. I'd rather die than hurt her."

My mom seemed satisfied. "Let's go home and get you packed Bella. I'm sure you miss the clouds of Forks already."

"But mom, what about you?"

Renee smiled at me, "I'll be fine." And right then, I knew she would be.

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My mom drove us back to the house so I could pack my things. Edward said something about needing to buy some books for his sisters and stayed behind. I think he just wanted to give us some space.

When we got home I went upstairs to pack. While I was doing that, I heard my mom moving around in the kitchen. Once I knew I'd be allowed to go back to Forks, I felt a little bad about leaving her all alone, so I went downstairs and found her sitting at the kitchen table, a cup of coffee in front of her. I sat down on the chair next to her.

"Hey Bells." She sounded really sad.

"How's the coffee?" I asked.

"Bitter." I could tell we weren't just talking about the hot liquid anymore.

"Look Bella, I'm sorry for acting like such a..."

"Parent?" I interrupted.

She smiled a little "Well, yes."

"Mom it's okay. You're going through a very rough time! I should've been more understanding."

She stared at her cup while she stirred "He's called, you know?"

"Phil?"

"I had so many lost calls on my cell phone, I finally just decided to turn it off."

I sighed and took her hand "Mom, maybe you should talk to him. Hear his side of the story."

She shook her head "I can't go back to him. Once a cheater, always a cheater. Right?"

"But you miss him mom! Besides, he says he didn't do it."

She gave me a sideway glance "Do you honestly think he'd admit it if he had?"

I shrugged. "I'm just saying you should hear what he has to say. You don't have to go back to him, but at least you could get some sense of closure."

She stared into space, lost in her own thoughts. I would've left it at that, but I had a bit of apologizing to do myself.

"Hey mom? I'm sorry too."

She frowned. "For what?"

"Well, this past week I've felt as if I were living in a soap opera. I just got so scared when you told me you weren't going to let me go back to Forks. I tried talking you into letting me go by confessing my feelings for Edward, which probably wasn't the best idea considering your situation. I might have sounded a tad..."

"Melodramatic?" She was laughing at me.

"Maybe just a little." I grumbled.

She giggled and looked back down at her coffee. "You really love him, don't you?"

I nodded "I do."

"That much?"

I felt my face growing hot when I said "Well, weren't you standing right next to me at the mall?"

She started laughing again. "Oh right! What triggered that Oscar-winning performance anyway?"

"I saw a pair of earrings the exact same color as his eyes." I mumbled under my breath.

She snapped her head around to stare at me, her mouth open. "Oh you are such a goner."

I laughed and covered my face with my hands. This was the Renee I was used to, it felt good having her back.

"You know mom, if you need me to stay I can probably stick around for another week or so. Maybe Edward can get a hotel room somewhere close."

"No, that's alright. I need to start figuring things out on my own. You're not going to be around forever."

I bit my lip, trying hard not to let her know just how right she was.

"I'm amazed Edward's parents let him run around the country after you every time you decide to leave." She commented.

I just shrugged. "The Cullens are really cool people, you'd like them."

"Maybe I'll get a chance to get to know them better sometime."

"Yeah, maybe."

She crossed her arms. "They're all awfully beautiful. That girl, Alice, she's a knockout."

I laughed, "You haven't met Rosalie."

"Who's Rosalie?"

"Edward's other sister. She's just drop-dead gorgeous."

My mom raised an eyebrow "I'm intrigued. Don't you have like a picture or something?"

"No, but maybe Edward does."

"Why don't you invite him over for dinner?" She was being nice, but I couldn't say yes to that. She was bound to notice if he didn't eat at all.

"How about you and I go grab something at some fancy restaurant by ourselves? We can have him over for coffee afterwards."

She clapped her hands in excitement "Oh we can get all dressed up and everything! I'm gonna go take a shower."

I smiled as I watched her go. It felt good having my best friend back.

-----------------------------------------

"THAT is your sister?" My mother gawked openly at the family picture Edward had just handed her. I would've been embarrassed by her actions if I'd never seen Rosalie myself. I knew, however, that my mother's reaction was perfectly natural.

Edward chuckled "I think I have one of just her around here somewhere." He fished around his wallet until he came up with another little photograph. My mom's eyes just about popped out of her head when she saw the picture. It was a close-up of Rosalie standing on the roof of their house, she was looking over her shoulder at the camera and smiling playfully, her hair flying all over the place. No model could ever compare to her radiating beauty.

"Our brother Jasper took that one. He has a bit of a photographic eye. Or so he claims."

We were sitting in my mother's modest living room. Renee and I had gone out to dinner early and I'd called Edward as soon as we'd gotten home. I hadn't even changed out of the little, black, strapless number my mother had forced me to wear to the restaurant. It'd taken me forever just to talk her into letting me take my shoes off.

"Well Edward, your family seems very... nice." Renee was trying to regain her calm. I could see my vampire boyfriend trying hard to hold back laughter. I could only guess it was because of something my mother was thinking.

He handed her the rest of the pictures he carried around in his wallet. He had one of us kissing in a photo booth, that one was a little embarrassing. My mother looked through them gleefully. She's a photo junkie. She stopped and frowned at one of the pictures. I had to lean over to see what she was making faces at. It was a picture of Rosalie and Emmett on the roof, probably taken by Jasper too. In it, Rosalie had her legs wrapped around Emmett's waist, it looked like he was swinging her around. They were kissing.

It was a very beautiful photograph. I would have to compliment Jasper later. However, I had neglected to tell my mother about the relationships in Edward's family.

I could see she was looking for something diplomatic to say. Edward, who hadn't seen what my mother was looking at, but could probably guess from her thoughts, glanced over at me. He silently asked me with his eyes whether I wanted to tell her, or should he.

I cleared my throat. "That's Emmett. Rosalie's boyfriend."

"I thought he was her brother." She let out a nervous laugh.

"Well... he is. I mean all the Cullen children are adopted. In fact, Rosalie and Jasper decided to keep their last name, Hale." My mom raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

"Alice and Jasper are also a couple." Edward chipped in. He probably just wanted to get all the surprises out of the way, or at least as many as we could actually tell my mother.

"Oh my!" She giggled. "Well, that must be one interesting household."

"It is," I smiled calmly at her, "There's a lot of love in that house." Somehow, I doubt that sounded as well as it had in my mind.

"We are all very grateful to be a part of our family. The Cullens took us in when no one else would. Emmett and Rosalie are of age, they probably would've moved out already if we weren't all so close."

My mom took a deep breath. Edward's soothing voice and sincere words calmed her down slowly. He gave me a smile, indicating she was probably a little more at ease with the whole thing.

"Anything else I should know about?" She said this in a joking tone, but I could tell she was a little worried.

Well yes mom, Edward is a 104-year-old vampire and he's going to kill me in December. "No, not really" I smiled sincerely.

"Well, when are you two going back to Forks?"

"I was thinking about getting us tickets for tomorrow night. Unless you two want to spend some more time together. I can wait for as long as you need." Edward spoke to me. I shook my head to show him I was okay with leaving the next day.

"You two should probably get going. School is waiting." I groaned. It was hard balancing a normal life and the excitement of being involved with mythological creatures.

"I should probably go to my hotel now. My dad wanted me to call him tonight to let him know about our plans." Edward got up. He turned to say goodbye to my mother and she engulfed him in a hug. Shock registered on his face, but he soon regained his composure and hugged her back.

"It was nice seeing you again Edward. You'll take good care of my little girl, won't you?" She whispered.

"Always." He nodded.

I walked him to the door. He kissed me softly and whispered, "I'll be waiting in your bed."

My heart fluttered at his words. I closed the door behind him and went to help my mom in the kitchen. She was washing the mugs we'd used.

"Don't you think it's a little weird? Brothers dating sisters under the same roof?" She sounded genuinely curious, not judgmental.

"They are not really related mom. Besides, if you could see them... after you spend five minutes in that house it starts to feel completely normal to you. They all love each other very much."

She shrugged. "It's just a little too Woody Allen for my taste."

I laughed wholeheartedly. "Mom, I'm kind of tired. Do you mind if I go to bed?"

"Not at all honey. Sleep well."

"Oh I will." I said under my breath as I hurried upstairs. I was in such a rush to get to my room that I tripped on the last step. I was just about to have a very close encounter with the floor when I suddenly found myself floating in midair, my nose inches away from the soft carpet.

"You should really be more careful. I'm not always around twenty four hours a day, you know?"

"Well you can certainly try." I smiled.

Edward had one hand on my chest and the other one just over my knees. He was holding me horizontally, which was a good thing. It would've probably been very painful if I'd banged my leg on the step. He flipped me around in his arms effortlessly and carried me to my room.

He sat me down gently on the bed and laid down next to me. "Shoes!" I glared at his expensive looking footwear. It took longer for the shoes to hit the ground than it did for him to get them off.

I took his shirt, the one I'd been using for bed, out of the drawer and was about to go change in the bathroom when his cold hand on my bare shoulder stopped me. "Let me help you with your dress." His breath on my neck made me shiver. He took the zipper in his gentle fingers and slowly pulled it down to my mid-back. He moved my straight hair away from the newly exposed skin with his fingertips and placed a small kiss on the middle of my back.

My heart raced, I worked on controlling my breathing while he kissed every inch of my pale skin he could reach. For a moment I thought he was going to pull the zipper all the way down to my waist, but he never did.

"You should probably go change now." He whispered so close to my ear his breath tickled me.

"I don't think I can stand up." I'd closed my eyes when he'd started the seducing process and I was unable to open them yet.

He chuckled, his deep laugh made me catch my breath. "Okay then." He lifted me into his arms, careful not to move the dress even an inch lower, and carried me to the bathroom. I changed into his shirt and a pair of small shorts quickly and brushed my teeth. I debated for a moment on whether to wash my face or not. I decided against it, my mom had done a great job with my makeup. I decided to squeeze the hours of girly torture for all they were worth.

When I walked back into my room, Edward was resting comfortably on my bed, wearing just his slacks. I stood at the door and smiled, leaning against the doorway to hold myself up while I admired his perfect form.

He turned his face around gracefully to look at me, and his breath caught in his throat. Thank you mom.

"Oh god, Isabella. You will be the death of me." He took his eyes away from me and stared at the ceiling. I could tell he'd stopped breathing. I smiled and joined him in bed.

"Is something wrong Edward?" I asked innocently.

"Yes. God yes. No one should be allowed to look that good." He bit his lip.

"Right back at you, love." I was surprisingly having fun with this little torture game I'd just come up with.

His eyes instantly fell on mine. I could almost see the wheels turning in his head. I should've known vampires couldn't take a little competition.

He flipped me on my back and covered my body with his own. "You are playing with fire here, beautiful."

I smiled. "I wish it'd burn me already."

He growled and buried his face on my neck. Holding my hands above my head, he ran small kisses all the way from my forehead, down my nose, past my mouth to my throat. Then he used his free hand to pull the fabric of the white shirt I was wearing away from my lower neck. He undid the top button and showered my skin with kisses.

My breathing became erratic. He let go of my hands only so he could move lower. He surrounded my waist with his arms and laid his head on my chest. He was listening to my heart pounding.

"I win." He said against the material of the shirt.

"Well that's not fair, you have much better self control." I grumbled.

"On the contrary, Bella. It takes a monumental amount of effort to stop every time."

I smiled "Just think, in a few months you won't have to."

He unwrapped his arms from around my waist and laid down next to me, taking me into his embrace. "I'm actually looking forward to it."

"Well you better be." I grinned. He gave me a crooked smile in return.

"Sleep Bella, I know you haven't done that in days."

"If I have the nightmare again..."

"I'll wake you up." He kissed my forehead. "Don't worry about a thing. You're safe with me."

I knew he was right, so I allowed my eyes to close.

--------------------------------------------

"You know, I never pictured you as that kind of guy." I crossed my ankles in the air as I rested most of my weight on my stomach and elbows.

"What kind of guy?" Edward murmured. He was slowly driving me insane by running his hands up and down my back.

"The kind that keeps pictures in his wallet." I had the small photographs spread in front of me on my pillow, and I was looking at them carefully.

"Well it's important for me sometimes, having my family close. It helps keep me sane."

I held up the picture of us. He smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. "You are my family now, Bella."

I smiled in contempt. "Speaking of families, what was my mother thinking last night?"

"Well she was awed at first, Rosalie can have that effect on people."

"It's not just Rosalie. You've been known to dazzle a few people yourself."

Edward, who was lying on his back next to me, leaned over to give me a kiss. "Yes, well that was before she saw the passionate fraternal kiss."

I giggled. "How bad was it?"

Edward shrugged. "She was pretty freaked out at first. She couldn't believe our parents would allow that. She calmed down quickly, though."

I looked out the window. The sun was already rising. Edward would have to leave soon.

Something suddenly occurred to me. "Hey Edward?"

"Yes?"

"You've been here all week right?"

"Yes."

"And you were watching over me? All the time?"

"As much as the sun would allow, yes."

I blushed scarlet. He pushed himself up on his elbows. "What?" He asked.

"You saw all the drama I pulled?" I was deeply embarrassed. I must have sounded clingy and obsessed.

He smiled. In a second, I found myself on top of him. He was looking up at me through those amazing eyelashes. "My temper tantrums were way worse."

I frowned. "How come?"

"Well, every time I heard you fight with your mother or cry I just had to punch something. I knocked down a tree a couple of blocks from here."

My eyes widened. I'd seen that tree. It was huge! "That was you?"

He gave me a crooked smile. "I told you mine was worse." His face became serious "But at the mall, I just couldn't take it. I was afraid you'd collapse from the lack of oxygen."

I nodded "I probably would have if you hadn't decided to reveal yourself to me."

He took my face in his hands. "Its too hard, trying to stay away from you. I don't ever want to do it again."

"And I don't want you to even try."

He captured my lips with his own for a brief moment before his eyes shot open. "Oh crap!" I heard him whisper under his breath and suddenly I was all alone in my room.

The door creaked open slowly. "Bella? You're up?" My mom stuck her head in. I frowned.

"Yeah, I am, but why are you awake?" I glanced down at the pictures I'd been looking at, only to discover they were no longer there. Edward could be pretty handy in a crisis.

"Well I heard you talking. I thought you were on the phone or something." Renee opened the door all the way and walked in. She looked around suspiciously.

"Nope, I was singing to myself."

"I could've sworn I heard a deeper voice." She raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

"I was singing a duet." I mentally slapped myself for my terrible lying skills. She said no more about that though, and just sat down on the edge of my bed.

"How did you hear me anyway? You were already up weren't you?" I sat up and rested my back against the headboard.

"I've been thinking a lot about Phil. I think I'll call him tonight after dropping you off at the airport." She curled her fingers around a loose thread on my comforter.

"Don't you want to call him while I'm still here? I could help you through it."

"No, it might get ugly. I'd rather do it alone." I felt very proud of my mother right then.

I patted the space next to me on my bed, the one Edward had just been lying on. My mom stretched out beside me gratefully.

"I'm going to be fine, right?" She asked.

I was being sincere when I said, "Of course."

The phone rang then. My mother frowned as she reached out to get it. "Hello?" She asked, confused by the early caller. "Oh Charlie! Hi! Yes, I've been leaving messages since yesterday for you. Oh, no kidding? Sure, talk to her yourself."

My mom handed me the phone and I frowned "Dad?"

"Bells! Are you alright? I just checked my messages. What's going on?"

"Where are you?" I asked. He sounded very far away.

"I'm fishing. I rented a cabin for a few days."

"Well I just wanted to let you know that I talked things over with mom and I'd like to go back to Forks, if that's okay with you."

"Really?" He sounded so hopeful my heart went out to him. I'd never really noticed how lonely he could get, living all by himself.

"Yes. I'll be there tonight or maybe early tomorrow."

"Oh." He was disappointed.

"What's wrong?"

"Well, remember how I told you I rented a cabin?"

"Yes" I raised an eyebrow.

"Well, I'm a little far from Forks right now."

"How far?"

"At least three days away."

I opened my eyes wide in shock. "Why did you go so far? It's not like there's no good fishing near home!"

"I kinda didn't feel like being near home much."

I just had to smile. I was doing the right thing by going back, not only for myself, but for him too.

"Is there any way you can stay there for a few more days?" He asked worriedly.

"Well I think Edward already bought our plane tickets."

The line was silent for so long I had to ask, "Dad?"

"Edward is there?"

"Yes, he came to get me."

"Yeah, he does that a lot doesn't he?" Charlie murmured.

"Anyway, I can probably stay at the Cullens for a couple of days. I'm dying to see Alice."

My father sighed. "Are Carlisle and Esme going to be there?"

"I think so."

"I'll call them to make sure. If they say it's okay, then you can stay there."

I smiled. A weekend at the Cullens, I could think of nothing more relaxing.

------------------------------------------------------------

Saying goodbye to my mother was more difficult than I'd anticipated. She took an incredibly long time letting me go when she hugged me, and I wasn't so sure about leaving her there either. But once I was finally seated on the plane next to Edward I started to relax. I fell asleep with my head on his lap after they turned off the seat-belt sign, only to be woken up by him when I started having the terrible nightmare again. I could tell he wanted to comfort me properly and probably talk to me about those dreams, but we couldn't call attention to ourselves in a place as small and crowded as a plane.

Once we landed, we found Carlisle and Esme waiting for us at the airport. Alice had wanted to go too, but Jasper needed to go hunting and she decided to go with him instead. Esme assured me that she'd be waiting at home for me though. I really had missed her, and couldn't wait to see her again.

The drive home was quick and quiet. Carlisle asked about my mother and my stressful week. I answered as wholeheartedly as I could, but I really didn't feel like talking much.

It was already dark when we pulled up the driveway. I was amazed at how right it felt, being there. Alice was waiting for us on the porch. She started jumping up and down excitedly when she saw us, and had my door open before the car had fully stopped.

"Careful Alice, she's human, she breaks." Edward warned. He was probably just upset he hadn't gotten to open the door for me himself. Or maybe it was something else. I frowned at him.

"Oh shut up, you party pooper!" Alice pulled me into a hug and started talking a mile a minute.

"Oh just wait until you see everything I got for you this week. I figured if you're going to become a vampire, you better start dressing as one. I started making a list about all the things we need to do before you join the cold side. We have to start by growing your nails, you don't want them to look like that for all eternity do you?" She stared at my fingers. A week without Edward had made me chew down every available inch. Some of my nails even looked red, as if they'd been bleeding at some point.

Alice was pulling me in the direction of the house, but Edward stopped her by taking my arm. She felt the tug and turned around.

"Could you give us a little alone time, sis?" He asked politely.

Alice pouted. "But you've been with her all day!"

"Yes. But before last night, I hadn't been with the love of my life for almost a week."

Alice growled but marched upstairs, mumbling incoherent things all the way.

"Think whatever you like!" Edward called after her. Okay, so maybe they were just incoherent to me.

He smiled at me and walked me to his room. His smile was soft, which made me feel like he really just wanted to spend time with me, although part of me suspected there was something more.

He closed the door behind us and guided me to what was now our bed. He lifted me by the waist and placed me on the soft cover before joining me. He laid down next to me, and then sat me on his lap. I ended up straddling his waist.

"Edward?" I asked.

"Yes?"

"What's going on?"

He let out a soft laugh and sat up. His arms quickly found their place around my waist and he kissed my lips softly.

The door suddenly burst open. I glanced up in surprise, but Edward just looked aggravated. Emmett waltzed in and sat down on the brown leather couch.

"So Bella, you're a girl right?" Not even a hello. He was tossing a baseball up in the air and catching it before his superhuman strength propelled it all the way up to the roof. The movement was disturbingly fast, all I could see was his arm blurring up and down.

"Last time I checked." I tried to untangle my body from Edward's, but he wouldn't let me.

"Hey Emmett, we were having a moment here."

Edward's cocky brother raised his eyebrows. "If you wanted privacy you should've closed the door."

"I did." Edward pointed out. Emmett just shrugged. "I have an emergency. I really need Bella's help. It's a matter of life or death."

"What's wrong?" I was genuinely curious.

Emmett dropped the ball on the floor and stretched out on the couch. He crossed his arms behind his head and sighed. "Rosalie is mad at me. I need to get her something."

Edward let out a frustrated growl. I just had to chuckle. "Emmett, this is not exactly my area of expertise. Have you tried the typical flowers?"

"Those won't work." It looked like he'd given it some thought.

"Well why don't you ask Alice? I'm sure she can tell you a lot more than me."

"Alice is off limits when they fight." Edward sounded very bored by this whole thing, he'd probably seen one too many of those fights to be interested in any way.

"Why?" I frowned.

"Well she knows what will make Rosalie happy again but SHE WON'T TELL ME!" Emmett raised his voice on that last part. I could hear Alice's laughter coming from somewhere a few doors down the hall.

"So how do you know flowers won't work?"

"Ah! Well you see, she can't tell me what to get Rosalie, but she can tell me what not to get her. I've been pacing outside her room all day, thinking of things for Rose. Every now and then I'll peek in and Alice just shakes her head. It's driving me insane."

"Well, how about cooking her dinner?" I asked innocently. Emmett just raised an eyebrow. "Fine, how about catching her dinner?" I corrected.

He sat up, thinking hard. "You mean like tying up a bear for her? What would be the fun in that?"

"It's a romantic gesture. She might like it."

"Oh kid, you have a twisted mind. I love it!" Emmett jumped up and ran out of the room so fast I didn't even see him. I turned back around to face Edward. He had a weird smile on his face.

"What?" I asked.

"A tied up wild animal for dinner? He's right. You are twisted."

"You know my theory, the one about you guys being in a better mood after you've eaten. It might apply to her too."

From the floor below us, we suddenly heard a whoop. "Oh Bella I love you!" Emmett yelled his gratitude. Alice had obviously agreed with me.

"Hey!" Edward yelled back, but he wasn't the only one. A girl's voice said that exact same thing somewhere downstairs.

"Oh Rosalie, you know I didn't mean it like that!" Emmett sounded repentant.

"Didn't you? You know what? Go be with her. GET OUT OF MY ROOM!"

"It's Our room honey!"

"Who are you calling honey!" A door slammed shut.

"Kids! Do not slam those doors! Don't make me go up there!" Esme yelled from the kitchen.

Edward rolled his eyes and threw a pillow at the door. It closed with a bang.

"What did I just say?" I could faintly hear Esme complaining.

I giggled. Edward tucked a strand of hair behind my ears and frowned. "What are you laughing at?"

"Your family can be so normal sometimes. It's fun!"

He shook his head. "It gets old pretty quickly. Those two squabble over the smallest things."

"Have they ever broken up?" I asked, surprised.

"Are you kidding? Of course not. They can't live without each other. They just yell at each other for hours and then have really great..." He stopped suddenly.

I frowned. "Really great what?"

Edward sighed "Well, really great makeup sex." he said matter-of-factly. I blushed a little. Other people's sex life could make me uncomfortable rather easily.

"Jasper don't you even dare!" Rosalie shrieked. I could only guess what was going on one floor below. Alice's graceful laughter waltzed up the stairs towards us. She locked herself in somewhere down the hall.

Edward pulled me closer to him once again and tucked my head between the pillows and his own. His cheek pressed against my ear successfully blocked out all the noise. I closed my eyes and breathed in his delicious scent. He traced circles on my back while we cuddled.

After a few minutes he moved his head to rest it on the pillow next to mine. We were so close our noses touched. I could no longer hear any yelling, although Edward assured me the arguing was still going on, just in a much lower volume after Esme's last warning.

Edward stared into my eyes as he ran his fingers over my face. He traced my forehead, my nose, my mouth, my cheeks. "I'm really glad you're here Bella. I like not having to sneak around every once in a while."

"I really like it here too. I feel more at home at your place than I do at Charlie's." I was being honest. The Cullen residence had become a safe heaven for me. It was a place where I could be with Edward without anyone staring or checking up on us. Furthermore, it was the only place where he could be himself, and that was something I loved watching.

Edward kissed the tip of my nose. "I cleared another drawer for you in my closet." I smiled at the gesture. As grown up as that sounded, I couldn't bring myself to be freaked out by how fast things progressed with us.

"I'll have to get some clothes from home to fill it, then."

Edward rolled his eyes. "Yeah, like Alice would let that happen. That drawer is already full. Apparently she had a lot of fun while we were away."

I shook my head "You guys have to stop spoiling me."

"Try telling her!" He chuckled, but all of a sudden he stiffened. I frowned.

"What's wrong?"

"How about a picnic? You must be starving." Edward lifted me in his arms and ran to the door.

"Actually I'm fine, thanks." I was so surprised I didn't even have time to come up with an appropriate response to his sudden actions.

As we were flying down the stairs, I heard a deafening bang that made me jump out of my socks. Edward just gripped me tighter and ran faster.

"Edward what was that? Are we under attack?" I shrieked.

"That," Edward smiled, "was Rose and Emmett making up."

I asked no more.

------------------------------------------------------------

Esme had practically thrown a basket full of food and a blanket at us as Edward ran past her. I giggled, I would have to get used to Rosalie and Emmett if I was going to start living there soon.

Once we were considerably far from the banging noise, Edward sat me down on the cool grass and spread the blanket for us to lie on. I looked around. We were in what could be considered as his back yard. The forest was just a few feet away.

"Well, that was... interesting."

Edward snorted in that graceful way that only he could muster. He was looking inside the picnic basket. He smiled when he handed me a tuna fish sandwich and a box of apple juice.

"Esme bought juice boxes for me?" I was touched, I really was, only I suddenly felt like the baby of the house, which I was, in more ways than one.

"Well she just thought they'd be practical for situations like this." Edward crawled over to where I was sitting. His cat-like movement left me breathless.

"You mean for whenever Rosalie and Emmett want to have sex?" I asked once I regained my ability to breathe in.

"Not just that. Just for whenever we have to go to a place where stores might not be available." I raised an eyebrow. In these day and age, where exactly would that be? He chuckled. "Yeah, she'd just been waiting for an excuse to buy those things for decades. She thinks they're cute."

I laughed and nibbled at my sandwich. I was suddenly aware of the fact that I could see my food, even though there were no lights on. I looked up and discovered a very bright full moon directly above us.

"Oh wow." I laid down on my back and stared.

"Look at that! How long had it been since we'd seen stars?" Edward lifted me up gently so he could put his arm under my neck. I used his chest as a pillow while I continued to stare at the sky.

"So, what does the rest of your family do while those two make up?"

I could've sworn I could hear Edward's smile when he said "They are not usually that loud, Bella. Today, Jasper and Alice ran off into the woods. Who knows what they're doing. Carlisle isn't due back from the hospital for a few more hours, and Esme is ironing. She'll finish soon, and will probably go visit Carlisle."

I snuggled closer to him and chuckled. I took a bite of my food and closed my eyes.

"Hey Edward?" I hated ruining the perfect moment, but his actions from earlier were bothering me.

"Yes?"

"Is something wrong? You've been acting really weird today."

"Everything is fine, Bella. Drink your juice." He handed me the little box with the straw already hanging out. I took a sip

"You've never been a good liar with me. Am I in danger?"

"Aren't you always?"

"You know what I mean. Did Alice see something more?"

Edward sighed. I knew he'd given up when he started to spill. "No, the exact opposite actually. She can't see any vampires coming anywhere near here any time soon."

"Well that's good news. Exactly what is bothering you?"

"Well..." he sighed, "It's your dreams."

I turned on my side to face him "Excuse me?"

"Well I'm no expert! I haven't had one of those in almost a century, but it can't be normal for you to dream the exact same thing almost every night, can it?"

I shrugged. "Well I'm not sure. Do you think I can see something that Alice can't?"

"No, not exactly. Alice is almost never wrong about these things. She can sense where people's decisions will take them even before they know themselves. You know her gift is even more sensitive to vampires. If she says she sees nothing, then there's probably nothing."

I frowned. "Well if you trust Alice's visions so much, why are you worried about my dreams?"

He sighed again. "Well I'm afraid... I'm afraid you haven't completely gotten over the whole James incident. You repress so much fear I'm starting to believe it's manifesting itself through your subconscious."

I rolled my eyes and turned over to rest on top of the loving creature next to me. "Oh Edward, I don't repress fear! I just don't experience it. I feel totally and completely safe with you. My subconscious can't manifest something I don't feel."

He surrounded me with his arms. "Well I hope you're right, because this is not the kind of thing you can tell a therapist about without getting yourself committed."

I chuckled and kissed his forehead. "You worry too much."

"Yeah, I probably do." He sat up, with me still on his lap, so I crossed my ankles behind his back, holding him as close as I could.

As I stared into the woods, I thought I saw a pair of electric blue dots, like frozen eyes. But when I looked again, I found nothing but darkness. I rolled my eyes at my paranoia. Edward started kissing my neck and I lost myself in his caresses, completely forgetting about those blue spots in an instant.

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Oh, hehe sorry, I assumed everyone knew but I guess you guys really have no reason to. TOEFL Test of English as a Foreign Language. When you live in a country that doesn't have English as it's first language, and you want to study at a school that does (mostly college in a different country) you need to take that test and get a certain score, depending on the university. I took the test on Saturday and I think (it's really more hoping than thinking) I did well. Anyway, thanks for your good wishes. I get my results in two weeks._

_Hope you liked this chapter, even if it IS a bit on the fluffy side. I'll post more ASAP_


	5. Birthday Girl

**Nightfall**

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Birthday Girl**

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As I stared into the woods, I thought I saw a pair of electric blue dots, like frozen eyes. But when I looked again, I found nothing but darkness. I rolled my eyes at my paranoia. Edward started kissing my neck and I lost myself in his caresses, completely forgetting about those blue spots in an instant.

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"Rise and shine, birthday girl." Edward whispered in my ear. I just had to smile. With my eyes still closed, I puckered my lips up for a kiss. He chuckled and pressed his cold lips to mine. I sighed in contempt against his mouth.

"That was the perfect birthday present." It had been a few weeks since that night in Edward's back yard. Things were back to normal, or at least as normal as they were ever going to get.

"Oh, that was only one of the many gifts I have for you today."

"Oh really?" I raised my eyebrows. In a flash, Edward had me on my back and was hovering over me, his weight supported by his elbows.

"Really." He touched his lips to my neck and I shivered. He slowly formed a line of kisses from my jaw to the opening of his white shirt, which I wore to bed almost every night. He undid the top button and kissed my exposed skin, then did the same thing with the second one, and the third.

"Edward." My ragged whisper startled even myself. He looked up with a smile on his lips, but I could see his eyes were bright with desire.

"Just a few more months." I told him.

"Yeah." He laid down next to me and took my hand. "It's a good thing time flies when you're having fun."

I giggled and turned on my side to face him.

"Bella?"

"Yeah?"

"You are eighteen now."

I smiled. "I know."

"Do you know what that means?"

"That I can now legally drink in Mexico?"

He gave me a crooked smile. "Well yes, but you can also move in with me now."

I laughed softly. "It's too soon, we need to give Charlie some time to get used to the idea. If we move in together right now, without any warning, I'm afraid he might shoot you!"

Edward growled playfully and pulled me on top of him. "Let him."

I bit my lip and stared at nothing, lost in thought. He rolled his eyes. "You're wondering if a bullet would hurt me, aren't you?"

"Well not exactly. I was more like wondering if it would make a dent."

Edward roared with quiet laughter. "You should check under your pillow." He said between laughs, "I think you might find something there for you."

I grinned and hurried to lift the pillow. Underneath, I found a long blue box with a white ribbon. "Edward, what's this?"

"That, is your first present."

I opened the beautiful box only to find an even more beautiful chain inside. It was long and really thin, made out of white gold. I stared at it in awe. "Edward..." I began.

"It's long so you can wear it under your clothes all the time. If I could have it my way, I would've given you something huge, maybe with lots of diamonds. But we have to be discrete."

I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him. "I love discrete."

Edward laughed and sat up, with me on his lap. He turned me around so he could put the necklace on me, and then sighed. "As much as I'd love to keep you here with me all morning, Charlie wants to have breakfast with you and he's making it himself. You might want to get downstairs fast, he just sprinkled paprika on your french toast."

I groaned and rolled out of bed. Just as I was heading out the door Edward stopped me with a sudden kiss. "I'll be waiting for you downstairs. Try not to be late, school might actually be fun today."

I glared at him, getting the feeling that he knew something I didn't.

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Breakfast with my father was an enjoyable experience, apart from the actual breakfast, of course. He gave new tires for the truck as a birthday present. I've got to admit, I loved them. He also gave me a t-shirt, which was two sizes too big and a rather weird shade of pink. I gave him an awkward hug in thanks before waltzing back to my room to get ready.

My mother called right before I left for school. I asked her how things were going with Phil and she admitted they'd been making some progress. They'd been going to a marriage counselor for a few days and that seemed to be helping.

When Edward rang the doorbell I said goodbye to my mother. She asked to speak to Charlie, which used to be a really weird thing, but she'd been doing it ever since I'd gotten back from Phoenix. Edward said she wanted to check up on me and make sure things weren't getting too intense with my "hunky boyfriend" as she referred to him.

I handed Charlie the phone and ran to the door to meet Edward. He was holding a bunch of white and yellow freesias.

"Oh wow." I stared dumfounded at the eighteen beautiful flowers in his even more beautiful arms.

"Happy birthday my love." He whispered in my ear and kissed my cheek.

"Good morning Edward. Good God, those are some fine specimens." Charlie, who was balancing the phone between his shoulder and ear, gawked at the gift. My mother must've called his attention, because he then said, "Flowers, Renee. Freesias I think. No I do not know how much he spent on them! Well what do I care?"

I giggled and took the flowers from him. I was unsure of what to do with them. "I think I'll put them in water."

"No, don't." Edward took my hand and guided me to the car.

"Edward! They'll die!" I looked down at them. They were so beautiful.

"They're already dead Bella. Why don't you enjoy them while their beauty lasts, instead of keeping them in your room in a vase."

I raised an eyebrow. "You want me to carry eighteen flowers around all day?"

"No, not all of them." He opened the door of his car for me and took the eighteen beauties from my hands. He chose two and placed the rest on the back seat. He handed me a white one and a yellow one. "Here, take those."

It struck me as weird, but I smiled and took those two anyway. We rode to school in silence. When we got there, Edward opened the door for me and helped me out. "Let's get to class. We don't want to be late." The way he said that made me feel like something was definitely off. I hoped he hadn't planned some weird surprise for me in homeroom, but when we got there, everything looked normal.

With his arm draped around my shoulder we walked to our desks. I was about to sit when Mike pushed his way into the classroom. He didn't have homeroom with us, which was why he startled me when he ran all the way over to where I was standing and threw his arms around me.

I stood there, stiff as a stick, while he hugged me. "Happy birthday Bella! You didn't think I'd forget did you?"

I gave Edward a sideway glance. He was fuming. His eyes narrowed and I could see he was debating between pulling me away or tearing Mike to shreds. When he let out a low growl I patted Mike on the back lightly and gently pushed him away.

"Thanks Mike! I thought no one new!"

"Are you kidding? Of course we know! We have a surprise for you, we'll give it to you at lunch."

"She will be with me at lunch, Newton." Edward's voice sounded so dangerous even I shuddered.

"Well, ahem, our thing will only take a minute." The poor kid looked uncomfortably at my imposing boyfriend.

Edward gave him a murderous stare, but said nothing.

"Well, I better get to class." Mike turned around and left without another word.

"I didn't think he'd actually come in." Edward muttered under his breath. So that was why he'd rushed me to class.

"He was just being nice." I smiled at him.

"Well I don't like it when other people touch you. In fact, I don't really like it when people get too close to you at all. Your smell mixes with theirs."

He pulled me close to him and whispered in my ear. "Your smell is far too superior to be mixing with theirs."

I smiled against his chest "Well aren't you the overprotective boyfriend."

Edward pushed me away gently by the arms, looking worried. "Does that bother you? I can tone it down." I could tell it took a great deal of self-control to even say that to me.

"No, it doesn't bother me." I was being honest.

"Well good then." He let me go and sat down on the desk next to mine. Then he pushed it until it was right next to the one I was sitting on.

"Mister Cullen, would you mind explaining to me why you're invading Miss Swan's personal space like that?" The teacher, who had just arrived, asked him.

"She's feeling a little faint today Mrs. Evans. I'm just trying to prevent an accident."

His voice was so smooth even the sixty-year-old teacher couldn't resist him. She went on with her class. I smiled and rested my head on his shoulder, I could get used to that.

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Lunch arrived soon enough. Edward walked behind me, his arms around my waist. When we got to the cafeteria, Mike, Jessica and the rest of my former lunch table buddies were waiting for me with a chocolate cake in front of them. I smiled at the gesture and turned around to let Edward know that I wanted to go over there for a moment.

He let me go without a word and was about to go sit at our usual table when I took his hand. "Come with me." I whispered so only he could hear.

"Newton will be pissed."

"I don't care."

He smiled and turned around to follow me. Moments later I heard a shriek coming from the end of the hall.

"Bella!" Alice called out. The whole room turned to watch as the petite beauty, who most of them had never seen speak, let alone run, gracefully made her way across the room to throw her arms around my neck.

"Happy Birthday!" She kissed both my cheeks and hugged me again. "Let's hope this is the last one." She whispered in my ear. I giggled.

"Oh, I got you a present!" She handed me a big box, which I'd somehow not seen before. I frowned at her.

"Oh Alice, you didn't have to get me anything!"

"Are you kidding? It's your birthday! Besides, you know I love spoiling you."

I smiled and tore through the paper. Inside the box I found a tote bag that said Louis Vuitton on the side. "Oh Alice, you shouldn't have!"

"Yes Alice, you really shouldn't" Edward was glaring at his sister. "What did I tell you about being discrete?"

"Oh suck it up Edward. Kids here already know we have money, they've seen Rosalie's car."

Edward muttered something so fast I was sure he only wanted Alice to hear. She made a face that let me know she was answering his mutterings in her head. His eyes widened and he whispered, loud enough for me to hear "Oh you wouldn't dare!"

"Guys." I warned. Eric was approaching us quickly. Edward growled again and stood behind me, placing an arm over my shoulder and past my chest to rest just over my hips. It was clear he didn't want Eric to hug me like Mike had.

Eric noticed Edward's protective stand and stayed back. "Happy birthday, Bella! We have a cake for you."

"Oh I love chocolate!" I smiled at him and walked over to the table, pulling Edward behind me.

Mike looked less than pleased when he saw him. Edward smirked. Everyone sang happy birthday to me and I blew out the candles. The girls were admiring my new present (I could hear awed whispers of how much the bag could've cost and how lucky I was to have the Cullens as friends) and oohed over the flowers I still carried around. Mike smiled at me "Hey, why don't you join us for lunch today?"

"Sorry Newton, we have plans." Edward's smile was smug.

"We do?" I frowned.

"Yes." Edward moved aside and pointed to a table on the far end of the cafeteria. "We do."

I stared, my mouth wide. The table was covered with a white tablecloth. It was set with crystal glasses and porcelain plates. As we approached, I could see the plates filled with lasagna and some kind of salad.

"Edward, what happened to discrete?" I asked him once we were standing next to the table.

"I am being discrete! Otherwise we'd have a band and some decent wine." He poured me some grape juice and placed the napkin on my lap.

I kissed his hand when he set my glass down. He smiled at me and took the seat across from mine.

"Everyone is staring." I pointed out.

"Oh Bella, people have been staring at us since the day we first sat together." He had a point there.

"Here, I have your next present."

"There's more? Edward! You've given me enough!" I rolled my eyes at him.

He took my hands in his and whispered, "Nothing will ever be enough, my Bella." He then handed me a small velvet box.

My breath caught in my throat when I saw it. "What's this?" I asked.

"Well, open it!"

I did. Inside, I found the pair of earrings that had caused my mental breakdown back at the mall in Phoenix.

"Oh my god Edward. I love these!"

"I know." He kissed my hand and handed me my fork. "Now eat please, before it gets cold and all my hours of cooking go to waste."

"You did this?" I was truly surprised.

"Yes. And I paid some random guy twenty bucks to taste it, so it's probably good."

I chuckled and picked up my fork. It was turning out to be one of the best birthdays ever.

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The last class of the day was gym. We were doing track, which in our case - with the heavy rain and all – basically meant twenty laps around the gym. Edward had a blast. I stumbled over my own feet at least seven times. He was right next to me all along of course, so he managed to somehow keep me on my feet. During the last lap, my laces came undone and the boy running behind us stepped on them, which sent me flying in the air without my shoe. Edward caught me before I hit the ground, steadied me and then went back to retrieve the lost item.

He was laughing loudly when he caught up with me. He knelt down and lifted my leg so I could slide my sneaker back on. "What's so funny?" I asked, deeply embarrassed.

"The teacher seems to think it's a good thing you're going out with me. According to her, with me at your side, the mortality rate of the class just went down considerably."

I scowled as he tied my laces. I would've done it myself but I was still too worked up to even notice Edward was doing it for me. "Yeah well, what does she know?"

"Apparently you had quite a few incidents last semester. She thinks it's a wonder Newton is still alive. Your clumsiness seems to be a legend around here."

The teacher whistled then, signaling the end of class. I turned around to storm to the locker room and promptly fell forward. Edward caught me once more. It was apparently becoming a habit.

"You twisted your ankle didn't you?" He looked upset.

"I'm fine. Put me down." He did. I tried to put some weight on my foot but found it impossible, so instead I started limping.

Edward rolled his eyes, scooped me up and walked me to the locker room.

"Girls! I'm coming in! I have my eyes closed!" He announced at the door and proceeded to walk me to a bench. A couple of girls shrieked, but most of them were too surprised to say anything.

He sat me down right in front of my locker and walked outside. As he was leaving he called after himself "Try not to kill yourself while you're alone. Yell for me once you're decent."

I didn't even stop to wonder how he knew which locker was mine. I just wobbled over to the showers, figuring he had something else planned for that afternoon and not wanting to smell the way I did for the rest of the day.

Once I was done I made my way to the hall. There was no way I was going to yell for him, the girls were already looking at me funny. When I got outside he was nowhere to be seen. That struck me as odd, but I just decided to go wait for him on the parking lot. Out of nowhere, a pair of strong arms lifted me in the air and carried me back inside before I could even get to the door.

"Edward! What is going on?"

"Come with me, we have to wait until everyone leaves." He carried me to an empty classroom and sat me down on the teacher's desk.

"Why can't we just go home?" I grumbled.

"Well, because Alice would kill me. She's going to be pissed enough as it is."

"Why?"

"Because of your ankle."

I asked no more. It was obvious he wasn't planning on giving me straightforward answers. He sat next to me and rubbed my ankle while we waited. I've got to admit, his cold touch on my sore muscles felt great.

"Okay, I think the coast is clear!" He grinned after a few minutes and lifted me in the air once again. He let me down once we got to the door and covered my eyes.

"Okay Bella. I have another gift for you."

I groaned. "Edward, this is getting a little out of hand."

He shushed me. "Just wait. Ready?" His hands dropped to my waist. "Happy birthday."

At first I didn't see what he was trying to show me, then the huge red bow hit me like a ton of bricks. It was attached to a car.

My jaw dropped to the floor. The silver beauty was parked right in front of us. It looked incredible, not to mention expensive.

"You got me a car!" I shrieked.

"Not just any car. That is a Rinspeed Porsche 911 with leather interiors and doors that swing upward."

"Doors that swing... Edward this is ridiculous!" I turned around to face him. He was beaming.

"Thank you."

"No, Edward! I can't take this! I can't accept a car! Specially not one that looks like it costs more than my house!"

He placed his hands on my back and pulled me close. "Bella, in a couple of months you are going to become one of us. Once that happens, not only will you have a true need for speed, but you'll also get your very own credit card and access to all of our accounts. So you see, the car is really nothing in comparison."

I shook my head stubbornly. "I still can't accept that car. What the hell happened to discrete?"

He rolled his eyes in frustration. "Fine, look at it this way then. The car is mine. What's mine is yours. You can just hold on to the keys." He dangled those in front of my face and I scowled.

"It's too much."

"We'll keep it at my place of course. No one will ever know you have it. You don't even have to drive it until we move in together if you don't want to." I was still scowling so he sighed. "Please Bella. Just let me give this to you. You're giving up so much by being with me, why won't you let me give you something in return?"

"First of all, I'm not giving up anything to be with you. And even if I were, you don't need to give me expensive gifts to show me that you love me! I don't need all these things! All I wanted for my birthday was you, and I have you, so I'm already happy."

He pulled me closer and kissed my forehead. "Fine. I'll keep it in our garage for now. But once you move in, it's yours."

"We will cross that bridge when we get there." I smiled at him.

"You are absurdly stubborn." He picked me up and sat me down on the passenger seat.

"Hey! Don't I get to drive?"

"You refused my gift!" He ripped off the bow and sat on the driver's seat, "you don't get to drive it until you accept it."

"I should have, just to keep you from killing us both with your driving." I gripped the edge of the seat as he practically flew out the student parking lot.

"Well, maybe you should have." He gave me a lopsided grin.

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"So, where are we going?" I asked eagerly.

"Home." Edward didn't even take his eyes off the road, which was strange for him.

"Oh really? And what are we going to do there?" I could sense the car had not been the last of his gifts, and since each one seemed to be more extravagant than the next, I was a little worried about the rest of the day.

"I'm dropping you off."

"What?" I shrieked. "You're leaving me?"

"Bella, if I could have it my way I'd glue you to my hip. Alice, however, wants a few hours alone with you." He glanced at me apologetically and kept driving. I scowled the rest of the way home. Once we got there, we found Alice sitting gracefully on the front lawn, waiting patiently for me.

The first words out of her mouth were, "I told you she wouldn't keep the car." Her handsome brother growled in her direction.

"Oh Edward, betting against Alice? Really?" I wrinkled my forehead and he scowled.

"You are keeping it, Bella. I'm just going to store it for you."

Alice just giggled. Edward bent down to kiss me gently and caressed my face with his knuckles. My heart raced. I was sure even Alice would notice.

"Have her back on time." Edward commanded, his eyes never leaving mine.

"Yeah, yeah. Come on Bells." She pulled me away from my personal god and into Edward's Volvo, which was parked right next to us.

"Where are we going?"

She turned on the car and grinned at me. "The spa!"

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For the next three hours I was tugged, wrapped, soaked and poked. Alice joined me for the mud bath and the algae wrap, but not for the massage or the manicure. My hair got trimmed and curled, my toes were painted dark red and someone who looked like an expert did my makeup.

When they were done with me, my skin felt softer than it'd ever had and I looked... different.

"Alice, I look pretty!" I stared in wonder at the girl in the mirror. It looked as if I weren't wearing any makeup, although I was sure I had some of it on, except for my lips. Those were a light shade of red. I also looked radiant, glowing.

Alice smirked and handed me the two flowers I was still carrying around. "You are always pretty, Bella. Right now you look breathtaking. And I'm not even done yet."

She drove back to her house at top speed, muttering under her breath something about being behind schedule and Edward getting pissed. When we got there, she practically shoved me into her bathroom.

"I am going to assume you have a dress for me to wear." I rolled my eyes.

"Of course." She simply answered, looking around her closet.

"If there is some kind of September prom that I am no aware of, heads are going to roll."

She chuckled "Ah! There it is!" Out of her closet came the most beautiful dress I had ever seen. It was deep red, the color of fresh blood. It was a halter with a small cleavage. Alice turned it around so I could see it from every angle. It was backless, ending in a deep v below the waist.

When I tried it on I discovered that it fit perfectly, except for the length.

"Alice, it's too long!" The door to the bathroom flew open and she gasped.

"Oh my God, Bella."

"I know! I'm going to fall on my face!"

"No, Bella... you look incredible!" She twisted me around so I could see myself in her full-length mirror. I just had to agree with her. The dress hugged every inexistent curve, making me look like I actually had a figure. My pale back, creamy from all the treatments I'd gotten that day, contrasted amazingly with the deep red of the dress.

"Here, you're going to need these." She handed me a pair of pumps. I just stared at her.

"Are you mad?"

She frowned. "Probably, why?"

"I'll kill myself if I wear that!"

She shrugged. "Ideally, you'd be barefoot. You always were, in my visions. However, I don't think your feet would like that very much."

Her statement confused me. What did she mean about me being in her visions? What was going to happen that night? I knew Edward wouldn't change me yet, we had that all planned out! Unless something had happened, unless there'd been a change.

Alice could see I was starting to get nervous and she smiled. "Don't worry Bella! You won't be doing much walking today. Edward did ask me to put this on you though." She produced a soft red blindfold from her back pocket.

I raised an eyebrow. "This is starting to look kinkier by the second."

She just laughed and tied me up.

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She carried me to the car, that much I knew for sure. We drove for a little while before she parked. I was going to remove the blindfold, but she ran to my door and stopped me before I could even get my hand up. She lifted me in her arms, cradled me like a baby and took off. I could tell we were running by the way the wind tousled my hair. The soft fabric of my dress swished against the wind.

She stopped after a couple of minutes and set me down on squishy ground. She held on to me while I regained my bearings, and then let go. I had a pretty good idea of where we were, but I still felt self-conscious about removing the blindfold without her consent.

"Alice, can I look now?" When I heard no answer I started to squirm.

"Alice?" Again, silence. I slowly peeled the red satin off my eyes. What I saw next made me gasp and drop the blindfold on the ground.

I couldn't believe my eyes. Our meadow, which was usually beautiful on it's own, now looked like something right out of a fairy tale. Millions of candles illuminated every inch of the otherwise dark clearing. There was a path of freesia-scented candles leading from the place where I was standing to the very center of the meadow, where a table and two chairs waited for my arrival.

The table was beautifully set over an off-white tablecloth. Two glasses of wine were already served.

"Wow, Alice! This is incredible!" I turned around to face her, only to find myself alone. I figured Edward would be around soon, so I made my way over to the table, careful not to let my dress catch on fire with one of the candles. My sore ankle and the tall heel made it a little difficult to walk, but I got there miraculously unscratched.

I lifted a glass of what I assumed to be red wine.

"That one is mine." His melodious voice stopped me in my tracks. I could then smell the contents of the glass. I set it back down quickly and glanced around, looking for him.

He was standing in the shadows, just out of reach of the light provided by the candles. "Please forgive me for taking the liberty of filling my cup with that. I'm just hoping this will be an occasion we'll want to toast to."

He took a couple of steps towards the light and my breath caught in my throat. He hardly ever wore black, even though it looked spectacular on him. That day he was sporting a black suit and a white shirt, unbuttoned at the top. The color of his chest was almost the same as the expensive clothing that covered it, and it reflected the candlelight in a way that made me shiver. I had never in my life imagined something as beautiful as what my eyes were staring at right then.

"Bella." My name rolled off his tongue like butter. He'd stopped a few feet away from where I stood. I was speechless, so he continued. "Tonight, I want to ask you something. I know you are too young. I know it's too soon. But I just really want to ask. I just need to remind you first, we have literally all the time in the world."

I could've sworn time slowed down as he closed the distance between us, but I can certify it completely stopped when he knelt down in front of me. Out of nowhere, he produced a black velvet box.

"I love you, in a way I never dreamed could be possible. You are my life. I am yours forever. Isabella, will you marry me?"

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_I'm sorry, I'm in a hurry, so I couldn't even read through this chapter! It's bound to have many little mistakes. I'm going on spring break to a beach called Mazatlan in México (that's where I'm from.) Maybe I'll get some inspiration there ;)_

_We are at least 3 fluffy chapters away from the real plot of the story. I'm sorry it's taking so long, but I just really love the fluff. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it! See you next week!_


	6. Fallen Angels

**Nightfall**

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**Fallen Angels**

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I could've sworn time slowed down as he closed the distance between us, but I can certify it completely stopped when he knelt down in front of me. Out of nowhere, he produced a black velvet box.

"I love you, in a way I never dreamed could be possible. You are my life. I am yours forever. Isabella, will you marry me?"

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On the outside, I looked merely shocked. On the inside, however, my mind was racing. For what seemed like an eternity, every possible thought crossed my mind; I was barely eighteen years old, I had never really considered getting married, let alone doing it so soon! And what were my parents going to say? But then I also thought, I had never even dreamed I'd feel for someone half the things I felt for Edward. He was the one and only person I would ever want for me. To be quite honest, I never really considered saying no.

My answer left my lips before I was even done thinking.

"Yes." I whispered softly.

Edward's eyes widened in surprise. He stood up, placed his hands on my waist and leaned forward to look me straight in the eyes. "Yes?" He asked excitedly.

"Yes" I said a little louder.

He let out the unnecessary breath he'd been holding and lifted me up in the air. I laughed softly at his reaction and allowed him to twirl me around a few times. He soon let go of me and leaned his forehead against mine. His trembling hands reached for the ring, which he then proceeded to slide up my finger.

I hadn't even looked at the beautiful piece of jewelry before then. It was made out of white gold and had little diamonds all around, with a larger one in the middle. It was by far, the most beautiful engagement ring I had ever seen.

"Oh Edward." I stared at my hand, which now sported the promise of our future together. He took my face between his strong hands and pressed his cold lips to mine, allowing me to part them slightly but never deepening the kiss.

When I came up for air, he took my right hand and led me over to the table. Edward handed me my glass of red wine and took his own, which was full of blood.

"Do you mind if we toast? I know the smell of my glass must be making you queasy." He placed a hand on my cheek, as if to check for any sign of faintness. I was feeling faint, but not from the blood.

"I don't mind." And to prove it, I clinked my glass rather forcefully against his. A few drops of blood made their way into my drink. I fought the familiar wooziness that I usually felt just by looking at the dark red liquid. Surprisingly, I found myself winning against the lightheadedness.

Edward looked shocked. "Bella, what are you doing?" I smiled at him warmly. "The whole tradition of clinking glasses began when people used to poison other people's drinks. The whole point of it is for a few drops of your glass to slip into mine so I can taste what you're tasting."

"In case you hadn't noticed, my glass is filled with human blood."

I choked on my reply. I had not even entertained the possibility of it being human. For a moment I stared at my red wine. Then, deciding that blood was soon going to become my sole energy source anyway, I raised my glass.

"To us." I simply said before taking a long drink.

All I could taste was the rich, dry flavor of the wine. Edward took a sip from his own glass, but still stared at me in shock. I couldn't help making a face after I swallowed.

"I knew you shouldn't have done that." In a flash, Edward had me sitting down on one of the chairs, probably afraid I'd faint on him.

"I couldn't even taste the blood. I'm just not much of a drinker." The understatement of the century. I had probably tasted alcohol only a handful of times in my life.

He sighed and looked away from me. He seemed... angry?

"Edward?" I frowned.

"Give me a moment." He took a few deep breaths to calm himself down.

"What's wrong?" I sat very still, afraid I'd done something to make him feel uncomfortable.

"You drank blood." He said between gritted teeth.

I couldn't help rolling my eyes. "It was barely a drop, diluted on alcohol!"

"I know I just..." He ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "I just thought I'd have more time to get used to the idea."

I stood up and slowly walked over to him. I touched his back carefully and tried to lighten the mood. "It's not like I'd never had any, you know? I think I drank a few mouthfuls when James smashed me against the mirrors."

Edward did not find my comment amusing. He growled but didn't move away from me. I took that as a good sign and gently turned him around to face me.

"I did that to show you that I really am okay with this whole thing. I will gladly give up fish, chicken and stake for an eternity of bloody meals if it means dining with you."

Edward reached out for my face. His touch was light as a feather, but it still made my heart flutter. "You are insane, Bella."

"So, what else is new?" I winked at him. He let out a small laugh and guided me back to my chair. Then, he knelt down in front of me once more and took my hand. "We are engaged." He whispered so quietly I wasn't sure he was talking to me.

"I know." I smiled and kissed him again. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Where did you get the blood?"

He gave me one of his amazing crooked smiles "It took you longer than I expected."

"What?"

"That question."

"Oh. Well what's the answer?" I wasn't scared or disgusted, just curious.

"We have a stash of it at home to celebrate on special occasions such as this. Carlisle brings it home from the hospital whenever they get some that can't be used."

"Oh." It was a funny thing to think about. I was secretly glad I'd never ran into the fridge where they probably kept it. That would've been a shock.

Edward sat across from me and loaded my plate with stake and vegetables.

"I don't know if I can eat. I'm too excited." I said honestly.

He laughed wholeheartedly and touched my hand. "Have whatever you like."

I picked up my fork and speared a broccoli. "So, what do we do now? Do we set a date?"

Edward laughed again. "I think it might be a little too soon for that. We should probably wait a few years, at least until you're comfortable and used to your future vampire self. Besides, we don't want your eyes to look red in the wedding pictures do we?"

That last statement confused me, but I said nothing. Instead I shoved the vegetable into my mouth and sighed in delight. "This is wonderful. Did you cook all these?"

He smiled "I wish. I ordered it from a good restaurant in Port Angeles."

I took another bite and looked down at my ring. "What is Charlie going to say when he sees this?"

"Well I was thinking, we probably shouldn't tell him yet. It will only make him nervous if you get engaged while you're still in high school."

I looked up at Edward, disappointment written all across my face. "You mean I have to take it off?"

"Well not exactly, that's what the chain I gave you earlier is for." He reached across the table and lifted the delicate, long chain from under my dress. He undid it, took the ring from my finger and placed it inside the chain.

The engagement ring rested between my breasts. If I wore it under my clothes, no one would ever notice.

"Clever." I smiled.

"Why, thank you." He returned the gesture and slid the ring out of the chain. "I'd like you to wear it on your finger when we're alone. I love the way it looks on you."

I stared down at my hand, with the ring back in place, and laced my fingers with his pale ones. "So do I." I declared contentedly.

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After dinner, he cradled me in his arms and ran us to his car. I stared at him while he drove us out of the woods. The full moon reflected on his perfect features in such an amazing way he was leaving me literally breathless. That's why it took me a few minutes to realize we weren't diving to Charlie's.

"We're staying at your place tonight?" I frowned.

"Yes. I want us -well you- to sleep in our bed tonight. Is that a problem?"

"No. But isn't Charlie expecting me back?"

Edward smiled at me and ruffled my hair. "Alice and Jasper went over to your place a few hours ago to get permission."

I frowned again. "Jasper? Why him?"

"Well according to Alice, you father wouldn't have let you sleep over at our place tonight unless Jasper were there to sooth his mind."

I was confused. "Why? He's never said no before."

Edward was smiling before he even answered. "Well that's because he trusts Carlisle and Esme. But today, he thinks they might make an exception and let you sleep in my room, seeing as how you're turning eighteen and don't really need parental supervision anymore. Besides, my parents are not really that old. Or so he thinks."

I rested back on the leather seat, lost in thought. "No one in your house has ever objected to you sleeping with a seventeen year old." I was just thinking out loud, but Edward laughed and answered. "Well, I am over a hundred years old, Bella. I think I can make my own decisions and take care of myself. Besides, it's not like we can actually do anything yet."

I smiled up at him. "Yet being the key word in that statement."

He smiled, but looked straight at the road. "Exactly."

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That night we had the house to ourselves. I fell asleep under the white silk sheets with Edward's hands around me while staring at my ring. Pretending nothing monumental had happened the next day at school turned out to be a bit of a challenge, considering I couldn't wipe the idiotic grin off my face.

It got easier with time. I got into the routine of being the first or last one to change for gym so no one would see my chain and wearing loose clothes to prevent any lumps. Not that that would've been difficult if Alice hadn't insisted on buying an unnecessary amount of designer clothes for me. It took a great deal of effort to convince her of letting me wear my same old t-shirts to school.

The rest of September went by in a blur. By the end of October I started toying with the idea of telling Charlie about me moving in with Edward in December. I figured it was probably best to tell him at least a month before it happened, so he'd have time to get used to the idea.

Edward, Alice and I started having almost daily meetings to test out different plans. It took a considerable amount of time deciding whether to tell him about the engagement or just about the move. In the end, Alice though that it'd be best if I told him only about the living arrangements. She also commented that things would go over better if I told him by myself.

That started up a whole new argument with Edward. He felt it would be impolite to not be there when I told Charlie. The old fashioned vampire refused to let me handle the whole burden of telling my father on my own.

After many, many days of endless bickering Edward gave in, with one condition. He made me promise that I'd go with him to the Halloween dance. He claimed he wanted me to have that last human experience. I only agreed after Alice informed me that the night of the dance would be the best time to tell Charlie, although I'll never know if she was telling the truth or if she just wanted to dress me up.

The night of the dance I sat in my room, nervously waiting for Edward. Earlier that day Alice had curled my hair and painted my face. The makeup was very neutral and light, it made my pale face looked radiant and beautiful.

When she handed me the long, sleeveless, white dress I frowned. "What am I supposed to be?"

"An angel, per Edward's request." I protested no more.

The only problem was she'd given me no wings, just a very sophisticated and expensive looking halo. I sat in front of my mirror, applying a last touch of lip-gloss, and wondered if that was what Edward wanted. An angel with no wings, it seemed oddly appropriate. Even though I was going to have a hard time explaining my costume to everyone.

The doorbell rang then. I grabbed my high heels and ran barefoot down the stairs, holding the hem of my dress up. When I opened the door I was so stunned I dropped the shoes.

Beneath the porch light stood the perfect image of a dark angel. His black suit and black shirt contrasted beautifully with his pale skin. His eyes were almost black, a sure sign of his unwillingness to leave me alone, even to go feed. His head hung low, and he looked up at me from beneath his long lashes. To top it all off, he was wearing the most elaborated wings I had ever seen. Real black feathers made up the majestic ornament, completing the incredible costume.

I quivered on the spot.

"Are you ready to go, my angel?" He hadn't lifted his chin; his stare still came from beneath his incredible lashes. I was so bedazzled by him, I crumbled.

His hands caught me before I hit the ground. He steadied me by pressing my body firmly to his. His deep laugh only made my heart race faster.

"You're going to kill me one of these days." I gasped breathlessly.

"Well, that is the plan. Isn't it?" He joked.

"Oh my, that is one stunning costume Edward." Charlie appeared behind us out of nowhere.

"Thank you, sir." He pushed me gently away from his body, but didn't let go completely.

"What are you supposed to be, Bells? A bride?"

My hand automatically flew to my chest. I looked down quickly to check if the ring was still concealed under the dress. The plunging neckline of it made it impossible for me to hide the chain, but the ring remained thankfully out of sight.

"She's an angel too. I have her wings in the car." Edward answered for me.

"Oh well, have fun tonight! Don't come home too late."

"I'll bring her right back after the dance." Edward was already walking me down the porch steps.

"I'll wait up." I couldn't tell if that was a warning or just a comment. I shrieked in surprise when Edward bent down and lifted me in his arms. So was Charlie, I could tell from his sharp intake of breath.

"She's not wearing her shoes." Edward explained apologetically.

"Oh!" My father saw the high heels that I'd dropped by the door and handed them to me. "Put those on in the car Bella." That was definitely a warning.

"I will, dad."

Once we were a few blocks away from the house, I looked down at the death traps Alice called footwear and scowled.

"What's wrong?" I should've known Edward would be staring at me.

"I don't like high heels."

"Then don't wear them."

In a move too fast for me to catch, Edward had taken off his black shoes and socks and was throwing them to the back seat. The car didn't even slow down.

"Angels shouldn't wear shoes anyway." He winked at me and parked the car. We were at the school already.

When the Volvo stopped he undid my seat belt. "Wait there." He instructed and popped the trunk open. He produced a magnificent pair of white wings, not unlike his own.

"How do I wear those?" I frowned.

"Here, turn around." He helped me out of the car and stood me up on the car matt, which he'd placed right beside the door. I hadn't even seen him do it.

His hands caressed my arms and back while he attached the wings miraculously to the back of my dress. It was a corset, which probably helped support the weight, but I was still amazed at how the wings were held up without any straps on my shoulders.

He read my confused look well. "What? You've never heard of the term -light as a feather-?" When I raised my eyebrows he laughed. "Alice spent quite a bit of time making these so you'd be able to wear them with the strapless dress."

I asked no more. He noticed I was getting cold, so he cuddled me in his arms and carried me over to the gym.

He pushed the doors open with his foot and walked us in. At that exact moment, someone drove up to the building. The headlights of the car illuminated us from behind. It must have been a spectacular entrance, because everyone at the party turned around to stare at us.

I could understand why the sight would marvel anyone. A dark angel, barefoot and gorgeous, carrying a white angel surrounded by light. It was all very symbolic.

The gym doors closed behind us and ever-so-slowly people returned to their previous conversations. I briefly noticed Mike and Jessica sitting across the room. She continued whatever she'd been saying before we walked in, but it seemed to take an incredible amount of effort from Mike's part to turn back to her.

Edward took me right to the center of the dance floor before letting me down. And even then, my feet never touched the ground. He maneuvered around the wings with ease and held me up by my waist. It was only after he started dancing that I managed to take a look around the room. I saw Alice -fittingly dressed as Tinkerbell- dancing with Jasper, who looked very calm and collected, but I could tell he felt just a tad uncomfortable in his green, Peter Pan tights. Rosalie was dressed in a huge pink gown. Emmet wore a suit.

"Hey, what are you two supposed to be?" I asked Emmett when we waltzed by them.

"I'm Barbie." I was incredibly shocked when Rosalie answered my question.

"I guess that makes you Ken." I smiled at her partner's spray-painted blonde hair.

"I begged her to let me be the new surfer dude, he's way cooler. But she refused."

Rosalie just shrugged. "Barbie and Ken should've been together forever. What ever happened to true love?"

"It's right here." Edward smiled at me and kissed my forehead. Rosalie seemed to remember her hate for me then. She scowled and led Emmett to the other side of the dance floor.

After an hour of what could loosely be considered dancing, I eyed the punch table with desire. Edward noticed and guided me over to the refreshments. I sat on a bench, happily sipping away my punch, when the wind blew the gym doors open. I was so startled by the noise, I dropped the rest of the drink -which thankfully wasn't much- on my white, satin dress.

"Oh my God!" I jumped up and promptly tripped on the fabric that, thanks to my barefoot status, pooled at my feet.

Edward sat me back down on the bench. "Stay here, I'll go get some napkins."

I stared remorsefully at the four red drops. I was so engrossed by my clumsiness that I didn't pay attention to the person who sat down next to me not a second later.

"Wow, that was fast Edward. Even for your va..." I stopped cold in my tracks when I realized that the man sitting next to me was not my boyfriend.

Jacob, wearing a black suit that looked just a little too small for him, smiled down at me. "Hi Bella!"

"Jacob! Hi! Wow, it's been a long time!" I smiled sincerely at him.

"Too long." He was even taller than the last time I'd seen him. Somehow, he'd grown into that tallness and now looked all grown up. His long hair was, as always, tied back in a slick ponytail. I frowned when I noticed his skin looked a lot paler.

"What are you dressed as?" I asked curiously.

"A vampire."

If I'd had any punch left, I would've surely choked on it.

"Oh wow. Where are your fangs?" I tried to cover my surprise.

"Who ever told you that vampires have fangs?" He winked at me. I was so stunned by his reply my palms started to sweat. I stared stupidly at him.

"Oh I'm just kidding." He reached into his coat pocked and produced a pair of white, plastic fangs. I let out a very nervous laugh and looked around the crowd for Edward.

"Are you okay? You look a little... tense." Jacob frowned.

"I'm fine. It's just that these stains are going to set unless..." At that exact moment, Edward appeared by my side with napkins and club soda.

"Here you go sweetie. Hello Jacob."

"Edward." Jacob nodded in his direction. For some reason, he seemed to be a lot less uneasy around my boyfriend.

"Well, I think I'll go look for my date." Jacob winked at me again, said goodbye and left. Edward growled.

"What the hell was that?" I wondered out loud.

"That was a little pubescent rebellion and a lot of new found attitude." Edward growled again.

"It seemed like a lot more than that. He said..."

"I know what he said, I heard. You handled it well, by the way." I couldn't tell if that had been a compliment or just good old sarcasm.

"But how did he know about the fangs?"

"He didn't, he was just teasing you. It was a lucky guess."

"But the way he looked at you. He used to be intimidated by your mere presence!"

"Apparently, with adolescence comes invincibility."

I sighed. "I want to leave."

"Good." Edward lifted me in the air. "So do I."

I rested my head on his shoulder while he carried me back to the car.

-------------------------------------------

I cleaned my dress methodically on the drive back home. My talk with Jacob had been stressful, but the real kicker of the night was yet to come.

Edward wrapped a white shawl around my shivering shoulders before carrying me to the door. "I'll be waiting in your room." He whispered. I kissed him for support and nodded before going inside to tell my father the "good news".

Charlie was waiting for me on the couch, watching TV.

"Hi dad." I greeted him.

"Oh hi Bells! Nice wings."

"Thanks." I'd forgotten to tell Edward to take them off. There was no way I'd be able to do it myself and I'd waste too much time in running upstairs to change, so I sat down next to my dad -wings and all- to talk to him. I just hoped the costume wouldn't have any influence on his reaction.

"Dad, I have to talk to you about something."

I must have sounded serious, because he immediately turned off the television.

"What's up?" I could hear the weariness in his voice. He had reason to behave like that. After all, any kind of real talk we'd ever had ended with me leaving him for some reason. That night would be no exception.

"Well, you know how I turned eighteen last month?"

"I remember." His eyes narrowed. I'd prepared this whole speech, but at that moment my mind went blank.

"Well, Edward and I have been talking and..." I decided to get it over with quickly, just like ripping off a band-aid, "we've decided to move in together."

Charlie sighed. "Bella, I know you really like him and all but why don't you two try living in different dorms for a while? Even if it is at the same college. Don't you want to live on your own? Even if it's just for the first semester?"

It took me a few seconds to understand what he was talking about. "No dad, we're not waiting for college. We're moving in together next month."

My father stared at me as if I'd grown a horn. "Isabella, don't be ridiculous."

I sighed. "I'm going to get a job. He has a little money saved up to get us started. We'll probably live close to the Cullens, Edward prefers it that way and so do I."

Charlie was shaking his head. "I won't let you do this Bella."

I pushed my curled hair away from my face so he could see my eyes clearly when I said, "I'm not asking for your permission, Dad."

Different emotions crossed his face almost at once. First, anger at my rudeness, then despair and helplessness and finally, resignation. I could see he'd realized there was nothing he could really do to stop me if that was what I wanted to do.

"Bella, please think this through."

"I have, dad. I've been thinking about it for a very long time. This is what I really want."

He ran a hand through his tousled hair and groaned. "Renee is going to kill me. She warned me this might happen. I thought she was being ridiculous."

I couldn't tell if he was talking to me or not, but I answered just in case. "I'll call her in the morning to let her know."

When he looked at me again, his eyes were sad. I wish there had been something I could've done to prevent that, but I knew there was no other way of doing things.

"When exactly are you moving out?" He sounded as if he were waiting to wake up from an awful nightmare.

"As soon as the winter break begins."

"What are you going to tell the kids in school?"

His question caught me off-guard. "Nothing, probably."

"Why? Are you ashamed? You shouldn't do things that make you feel ashamed."

"I am not ashamed, dad. I just think it's easier to keep from people the things that they might not understand."

He sighed again "Will you at least promise me something?"

"What?" I asked wearily.

"Promise me you'll think about this some more." I could hear the defeat in his voice.

"I promise, but I don't think I'll change my mind."

He stood up and walked over to the stairs, but stopped before climbing up. With his back to me, he whispered, "I know."

I sat on the couch in my white dress and wings, and silently watched as he walked upstairs with his head down.

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I couldn't stop the few tears that fell on my dress as I sat on my bed.

"There is something very wrong with this picture." Edward's voice startled me, but I recovered quickly.

"What?" I didn't lift my face to meet his gaze. His fingers gently pulled my chin up so he could look at me properly.

"Angels shouldn't cry." He kissed away the salty tracks and sat down next to me. "Bella, if you're having second thoughts..."

"I'm not." I cut him off, "I just hate seeing my father so sad."

"He'll be okay." Edward kissed the top of my head and pulled me to him. "He knows I love you, and he knows I'll always take care of you."

I smiled gently at him and took in his appearance for the first time since he'd appeared in my room. He was still wearing the black suit and he was still barefoot, but his wings were gone.

"Let me help you out of these things." It took him less than five seconds to free me from the featherly contraption. I sat very still while he worked.

"Hey," he kissed my eyelids and stood up, "I want to show you something."

He offered me his hand, which I took. Then he guided me over to the window and wrapped my discarded shawl around my shoulders once more. When he opened the window I frowned, but I just had to gasp when he took me in his arms and climbed out.

I closed my eyes and grabbed on to his neck for dear life. I could feel his gentle chuckle at my actions but soon, way sooner than I expected, he instructed me to open my eyes. We were on the roof.

I frowned. "What did you want to show me?"

Edward sat down and pulled me into his lap. His cold arms surrounded me and stroked my satin-clad stomach. Blood boiled and raced through me, as it always did when he caressed me like that. In one quick move, he took the ring out of it's chain and placed it on my finger.

Even though I was quite comfortable, I still couldn't see what he wanted to show me. He took my chin in his hand and tilted it up.

I gasped when my eyes fell upon the magnificent full moon, surrounded by shining stars. "Oh wow." Was all I could manage to say.

Edward pulled me closer and whispered in my ear, referring to my talk with my father, "We are one step closer to eternity."

I rested my head on his shoulder and looked up at the silver moon. At that moment, eternity felt way more than close.

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_Pure, unadulterated fluff! Sorry about that. I've had a very busy couple of weeks, which is why I couldn't update sooner (it's also why this chapter is so short, I'm sorry about that too!) Real plot is coming in the next chapter._

_Oh btw, thanks to everyone who wished me luck on my TOEFL test. I got 116 out of 120, which is VERY good. Yay me!_

_I'll get the next chapter up ASAP, and I swear it's going to be a looooong one!_


	7. Foreplay 1

**Nightfall**

**-**

**Foreplay**

-

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_Edward pulled me closer and whispered in my ear, referring to my talk with my father, "We are one step closer to eternity."_

_I rested my head on his shoulder and looked up at the silver moon. At that moment, eternity felt way more than close._

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That night I had the awful nightmare again, but Edward was right there to make me feel better. It took me a long time to fall back to sleep after it, though. I should've gotten used to the dream by then, but for some reason it still chilled me to the bone and flooded me with panic every time.

The next morning was, thankfully, a Saturday. I yawned and stretched on my bed before glancing sleepily out the window. The sky had stayed as clear as it'd been the night before, and little rays of light were already lighting up my bedroom.

When I turned around to face Edward, I realized he wasn't in bed with me. I frowned and looked around the room.

"I'm right here." His voice came from underneath my bed. I was so startled I rolled to the side, got myself all tangled up in the sheets, and fell.

Edward, who had just rolled out from under my bed, caught me by the waist just inches away from his face.

As he held me suspended in midair, our noses almost touching, I frowned. "What were you doing under my bed?"

He raised his eyebrows. "Honestly?"

I nodded. He folded his arms, letting my body fall gently on top of his. He reached under the bed and pulled out a pair of jeans.

"You lost these two weeks ago." He laughed at my stunned face.

"You were picking up after me?" I could feel the deep blush rising.

"Not really. I just saw you kick those under there a long time ago and I wondered how long it would take you to get them out. You were looking for them yesterday, but couldn't seem to remember where you'd left them."

"Well why didn't you tell me yesterday?" I sat up, still tangled in the sheets.

"Because you look cute when you're frustrated." He folded his arms behind his head, still lying on the floor, and smiled teasingly.

I scowled and stood up. I'd gotten a little better at picking up after myself ever since I'd stopped sleeping alone; apparently I'd have to work harder.

I spun around to storm to the bathroom but my feet got all twisted in the bed sheets. I flew forward, hands outstretched to catch my fall.

Edward grabbed me by the waist and pulled me back before I could smash my face against the window, but even he wasn't fast enough to keep me from grabbing on to the windowsill.

"Ouch!" I cringed and cradled my hand. "What?" Edward asked in alarm.

"A splinter! A splinter in my finger!" He sat me down on his lap and took my hand in both of his. Sure enough, a huge wooden thing had made its way into my thumb and it was way too close to my nail. He tried to use his hands to get it out, but the darn thing was too far in.

When I saw the splinter sticking out of my finger I started feeling faint. "Oh God." I closed my eyes to keep my head from spinning.

"Bella?" Edward frowned.

"Foreign bodies inside my own make me dizzy." I mumbled. Edward sighed, "I need something sharp to pull it out with."

"It hurts!" Everything around me started to swim. My eyes must have glazed over, because he immediately shook me, alarmed. "Bella? Honey, stay with me."

"Get it out." I said between gritted teeth.

He ran a frustrated hand through his hair and sighed. "Okay, Bella? Look at me! Bella! Do not move an inch. Do you hear me? Not an inch!" I somehow managed to nod.

He laid me down on the bed and knelt on the floor next to me. He held my thumb firmly and slowly lowered his mouth to it. I cringed as he took the piece of wood between his sharp teeth and pulled. I felt the splinter moving slowly out of my body. Once it was over, I looked up.

Edward still held my hand in his. He was staring at it. "Edward? Is everything okay?"

"Yes," he said softly, "you're okay." I looked down at my finger. A tiny drop of blood was slowly forming on it. Edward wiped it clean with his hand, and then stared down at his blood-smeared thumb. In a movement so fast I almost didn't catch, he licked his finger clean.

His eyes closed and he gasped, as if he'd just tasted a little piece of heaven. His whole body tensed up and he sat, still as a stone, on the floor. I slowly crawled away from him and his eyes -still wild with hunger- snapped open regretfully.

"I'm sorry Bella. I didn't mean to scare you." His jaw was so tense, he could barely get the words out.

"You didn't. I'm just trying to make things easier for you. I'll even hide my finger." I sat on my hand and he smiled gratefully at me.

I stared at him thoughtfully for a moment before saying, "Or I can _not_ hide it, if you'd like."

He frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I mean you can have some of my blood if you want it."

Edward growled so loudly he scared me. "Isabella, that is absurd! I will not use you as my personal flask! And not just because of you. It's hard enough resisting as it is! I shouldn't have tasted that drop. Now get that finger away from me before I eat you whole."

He sounded so mad I actually snapped my hand back and sat on it again. Edward clenched his jaw and closed his eyes. The sunlight that filtered through my closed window bounced off his skin, making him look like an angel in pain.

"I can leave if you want." My voice was barely above a whisper.

"No, please. Just give me a moment. I can manage this."

I sat perfectly still and waited while his body slowly relaxed.

"I'm sorry. Please don't be mad at me." I finally whispered after minutes of stressful silence.

"I'm not mad at you, Bella. I'm angry with myself. That was incredibly stupid of me. Using my teeth, what was I thinking? I could've... And tasting..."

I slowly moved closer to him and tentatively sat on his lap. He embraced me, so I relaxed against him.

"Is it really that bad?" I asked in a small voice.

"Think of it this way. If you were alone, in the middle of the desert, under the baking sun, literally dying of thirst, and all of a sudden you found an oasis but were forbidden to drink the water..." He let his thoughts hanging for a moment while he concentrated hard on something. When he continued, he did so in such a small voice I was almost sure he was talking to himself. "How crazy it would make you, if you could have only a tiny drop..."

I felt an incredible need to hold him close, to pull his body against mine and kiss away his worried frown. But I had to be careful, I had to give him some space.

Edward sighed and kissed my hair. "You should go downstairs and have some breakfast. Charlie left really early today, but he left you a note saying he won't be home for dinner tonight and asking you to wait until he comes back to call your mother with our news."

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The rest of the morning was pretty uneventful. That evening, Edward and I sat around my kitchen table doing homework for a couple of hours. He, of course, finished his in record time. I, however, had to use a calculator for my math problems, which meant it took me at least half an hour longer to get through my homework.

Edward heated up some leftovers for me while I struggled with my last equation. Math was one of my best subjects, but I kept making mistakes while punching the numbers into the calculator.

He grabbed the hot plate from the microwave and placed it in front of me. I noticed his eyes looked intense, as if he were concentrating on something.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Charlie is a few blocks away. He called Carlisle today."

I dropped my fork in surprise. "He did? What for?"

"Well, from what I can tell, Charlie wanted to see if Carlisle was aware of our plans. He wanted to see if my father could talk me out of it."

"And what did Carlisle say?" I rushed my words. My dad would probably walk through the door any second.

"He told your dad that we'd talked to him already, and that we seemed pretty determined. He also pointed out that we didn't need their permission to do anything and casually mentioned that I have enough resources to support us both for a lifetime. He told Charlie that he'd rather show some support, because if he didn't we'd probably just run off together, and that he was going to offer us the little cabin behind our house so he could keep an eye on us."

I raised an eyebrow. "There's a little cabin behind your house?"

Edward smiled. "No."

"How did Charlie take Carlisle's reply?" The answer to my question never came. In that exact moment the front door burst open. I turned around in time to see Charlie shaking off the rain. I glanced back to where Edward had been standing less than a second before. I found myself staring at an empty kitchen.

"Hi dad!" I called out.

"Hello Bella. Did you get my note?" Charlie hung his raincoat and took off his boots on the way to the kitchen.

"Yes, I haven't called mom."

"Well, why don't you do that while I get out of these soaking clothes?"

I nodded obediently and dialed my mother's number. Charlie was already at the top of the stairs when she answered.

"Hello?" Her breezy voice made me feel a pang of longing for her.

"Mom? Hi!"

"Oh hi sweetie! How are you?"

I sat down on a chair and threw my head back. I could feel a headache coming. "I'm great mom. Better than great actually."

There was a long pause on the other side of the line before my mother let out a strained "Really?" I knew she could predict the general direction our conversation was going to take.

"Yes, really. As a matter of fact, I'm calling to tell you something really exciting!"

"Isabella Swan I swear! If you eloped..."

"No mom! I did not elope! And I'm not pregnant either" I could almost hear the relief when she sighed. "I'm just moving in with Edward next month."

She was silent for so long I soon feared she'd passed out. "Mom?" I asked tentatively.

"You're... moving in with your boyfriend?" It must've taken her a superhuman amount of effort not to yell hysterically.

"Yes." I answered simply. After another enormous pause, she sighed. "Are you sure that's what you want to do Bella? What about college? What about... I don't know, teen age!"

"Mom, I've thought the whole thing through. This is what I want. It's what I need to be really happy."

She exhaled loudly before saying in a defeated voice. "Well honey, I hope you know what you're doing. If moving in with that hunk boyfriend of yours is going to make you happy, then I'm happy."

I rubbed the back of my neck to release some of the stress that had accumulated there during the past couple of days and smiled. "Thank you, mom."

"You're welcome sweetie. Now, could you put Charlie on the phone for a sec?"

The stress hit me again like a ton of bricks. "Oh come on mom! He has nothing to do with this! Don't go off on him!"

"I just want to talk to him honey! I haven't checked in with him in a while!" She was lying, of course, but I knew she would end up yelling at Charlie whether I wanted to or not, so I just called out. "Dad! Mom wants to talk to you!"

He could've answered from the phone in his room, but instead, he dragged his feet all the way to the kitchen and took the cordless from me. "Finish your dinner, Bella." He instructed before going upstairs to his room and locking his door.

I was too upset to eat, so instead I walked over to the dark living room. I sat alone on the couch and whispered into the empty darkness, "I want to know what he's saying."

Edward's soft voice came from the far left corner of the room. "What did you expect me to do, Renee? She's eighteen, she can do whatever she wants now... And how am I supposed to do that?... Cut her off? When was the last time you gave her any spending money? She can get a job, she's in a public school... Rent will not be a problem for them, his father offered to help them. Plus, from what I can see, he's loaded... We can not stop her, Renee. If this is what she wants to do, then all _we_ can do is give her our support. If we go against her, we will lose her forever. I do not doubt she'll run away with this boy if we forbid her to see him. After all, she IS your daughter." Edward's voice had turned into a whisper as the conversation went on. When he said that last part, he sat down next to me on the couch and opened his arms for me to lean against him.

"I feel like a ten year old going through a divorce." I rolled my eyes, "except this really is my fault."

"Well..." Edward ruffled my hair in a tender gesture. "Yeah, yes it is your fault."

I stared up at him with wide eyes. I had not been expecting that answer from him. "Excuse me?"

"What? You expected me to disagree? You're the one begging me to turn you!" He smiled and brushed his lips against my ear, making me shiver and forget for a moment about our little argument.

"Oh, like you don't want to change me."

Edward's face changed from playful to serious in two seconds flat. He took my face between his hands and stared into my eyes. "Unfortunately, there is nothing I want more in this world than to spend forever with you."

I frowned "Unfortunately?" I sounded more than a little hurt.

Edward leaned closer to my face and whispered against my lips "Yes, unfortunately for you."

I sort of understood what he meant, but his breath was driving me so crazy I couldn't even thing about a decent comeback. Instead, I closed my eyes and leaned in for a kiss only to find my lips connecting with thin air.

That was when I heard Charlie, warily walking down the stairs.

"Bella? What are you doing in the living room?"

"I was... thinking."

"Oh." I expected him to ask me about that, but he just said. "Did you finish your dinner?"

"I'm not very hungry." I answered truthfully.

"Well, then you should go to bed. It's getting late."

Even thought it was barely ten, the tone of his voice left no room for arguments. I got up and started walking to the kitchen.

"Where are you going?" Charlie asked.

"To clean the dishes. The kitchen is a mess..."

"Leave it. I'll do it myself. It's my turn to do the dishes anyway."

I nodded, went upstairs and closed my bedroom door behind me.

"He's upset." I sighed.

"Well, his little encounter with your mother's wrath was not a pleasant one." Edward's voice came from my bed, so I sat down next to him in the dark.

"I hate doing this to them." I whispered.

Edward sat, cross-legged, next to me and took my hand. "I'm sorry."

I turned around to tell him it wasn't his fault when I caught a glimpse of him. The light from the moon coming through my window bounced off his bare, stone hard chest. He was wearing only his slacks. My eyes roamed his body all the way down to his feet. Funny, I'd never really seen those.

"You have perfect feet." I thought out loud. My comment obviously caught him by surprise, because he let out a deep laugh. "Excuse me?"

I uncrossed his leg and took his cold ankle between my hands. "Your fingers are perfectly proportioned and the nail is so round..."

He lifted his eyebrows "I never figured you for a girl with a foot fetish."

"It's not a fetish, I just can't believe everything about you is so perfect!"

He lifted me by the arms and laid me down on the bed. Then he crawled down my body and unlaced my sneakers.

"What are you doing?" I sat up but he pushed me right back down.

"I'm looking at your feet." He took off my shoes and socks. I quickly tried to remember when had been the last time I'd cut my nails. A jolt of electricity went through me when I felt his lips against my big toe.

"What are you doing?" I shrieked and took my legs away from him. I leaned up quickly and sat on them.

He smiled. "I'm kissing the foot of an angel."

"Well it's creepy, even for you."

He lowered his head and looked up at me through his eyelashes. "What's that supposed to mean?" He shifted his whole body slowly. I'd seen him take that position once before.

"Edward! Don't even think..." But my statement came too late. I suddenly found myself flying backwards. He slammed me down on the bed, his body completely covering mine. His hands formed steel handcuffs around my wrists as he held them above my head.

"Edward..." I started to say, but he rested his cheek against my shoulder and inhaled deeply, pressing his nose against my throat.

All coherent thoughts left me when he ran his lips all across my face, paying special attention to my closed eyelids. He kissed me then, slowly and sweetly.

The kiss ended too soon, as always. He looked down at the V-neck of my shirt and pulled it down a little lower, so he could rest his cheek against the bare skin just below my neck. He slowly lifted the chain in which my engagement ring rested and gently ran the piece of jewelry through his fingers.

I reached behind me to take the chain off so I could put the ring in my finger, but Edward stopped me. "Wait, please. Don't move."

"Why?" I frowned.

"I want to feel your heartbeat for a little while." I nodded and laid back down against the pillows.

We stayed like that for so long I fell asleep. The next morning I found myself under the covers, but still fully dressed.

"Good morning, gorgeous." Edward whispered in my ear.

"Oh," I groaned, "why didn't you wake me up last night? I'm all stiff from sleeping in jeans."

"You looked like you needed your rest. I thought about changing you myself, but I figured you might not like that very much."

I thought about that for a second. Edward taking my pants off while I slept and getting to see my plain white underwear? And my legs that hadn't been shaved in a week? Hell no.

"You were right. Next time just wake me up."

He smiled and sat up. "Bella? I need to go hunting today." I took a closer look at him. His eyes were almost black.

"Are you going far?"

"Nah, I can't bare being away from you for long. I'll be back tomorrow morning to pick you up for school okay?"

As much as it pained me to let him go, I knew I had to. So I just nodded. He stood up and bent down to kiss the side of my neck. "I'll take a cell phone. Call me if something happens."

I nodded again. He kissed me briefly and then brushed his lips against my forehead in the most tender of gestures. Then he was gone.

I spent the rest of the day reading on the living room couch and catching up on homework. I had dinner by myself and went to bed well before my father arrived. I tossed and turned all night long, surprised at how much I actually needed Edward to sleep.

I got up early Monday morning and took a shower. By the time I went downstairs for breakfast my dad had already left. Edward rang the doorbell just a few minutes later. I practically ran to answer it.

"Hey!" I said as soon as I got the door open. Edward ran to me in that super human way of his and enveloped me in a hug. "Hey, I missed you."

I inhaled his heavenly scent and sighed, "I missed you too."

He kissed me tenderly, but pulled back quickly. "Come on, we're going to be late for school." His eyes roamed my body while I walked over to the coffee table to get my bag. He was searching for something.

"You're looking for some kind of injury, aren't you?" I smiled at his obvious concern.

"The fact that you managed to spend a whole day on your own and not get a single scratch on you amazes me." He grinned cockily.

"Well I did manage to stay relatively unharmed for over seventeen years before meeting you."

Edward snorted and, with his hand on the small of my back, guided me over to the car. "Oh you don't fool me. I'm sure you were a regular patient at some hospital back in Phoenix."

He was right, of course, so I just leaned back against the leather seat and scowled.

As Edward drove us to school I realized something was off. I wasn't sure what, but something was definitely not right. I looked around the car, trying to find something out of place that could justify my feeling. Everything looked the same.

I glanced down at myself. Shoes, socks, jeans, underwear, t-shirt, raincoat, engagement ring, everything was there. I stared at Edward next. He was the picture of perfection, as always.

I finally decided to glance at the speedometer. I gasped so loudly Edward snapped his head around to look at me.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"You're driving so... slow!" For the first time since I'd met him, he was driving well below the speed limit.

He growled, disgusted. "I know. Your dad has some rookie cop following us. I'd lose him, but it might look suspicious. "

"Charlie is having us followed?" I wasn't as shocked as I should've been. It sounded exactly like something he would do, checking up on me in that passive aggressive way.

Edward parked the car in front of the cafeteria and walked over to my side. I was so shocked by seeing him walking like a normal person I didn't even attempt to open the door myself. He helped me out of the car and closed the door behind me.

With his head, he pointed at the entrance of the school parking lot. I could see a cop car parked there. "He's not even good at the whole stakeout business!" The fact that my father thought I'd never notice a police officer following my every step was more than a little insulting.

"Maybe Charlie wants you to know he's there." Edward answered my thoughts as if he could hear them.

"Let's just get to class."

The rest of the day, the rest of the week in fact, went by relatively quickly. The only thing that had been bugging me, other than the annoying escort, was that Charlie had not been home in time for dinner all week.

On Friday, for the sixth night in a row, Edward kept me company while I ate. My father had called around five to say that he was going to be late, again. I couldn't help but worry about him.

Edward stared at me while I pushed my uneaten vegetables around my plate.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair in the way he only did when he felt frustrated or preoccupied about something. "You should talk to Charlie." He finally whispered in a reluctant tone.

"What for?" I didn't even look up from my untouched dinner.

"He thinks you're moving out because you can't stand living with him."

That caught my attention. "What? How long has he been feeling that way?"

"Pretty much since you told him about the move."

I pushed my plate away, almost knocking down the glass of milk in the process. Edward caught it before even a drop was spilled.

"Oh god, why would he think that?"

"Well, you've got to admit he has reasons to draw that conclusion."

Now that Edward mentioned it, it did seem painfully obvious. I'd actually yelled just how much I hated the current living arrangements right at his face a few months before. "Why didn't you tell me about this sooner?" I reproached.

"Because it's a good thing for him to pull away from you. I just can't bare seeing you so preoccupied anymore."

I sighed. "I know I should leave things the way they are, but I just can't."

Edward knelt down next to my chair and took both my hands in his. "Like I said, you should talk to Charlie."

-----------------------------------

I sat in the living room and waited for my dad until almost midnight. When I heard him unlock the door I got up. Edward ran upstairs to wait for me.

"Dad!" I said as soon as I saw him.

"Bella! You scared the lights out of me! What are you doing up?"

"I was wondering if we could talk."

Charlie eyed me suspiciously. He undoubtedly thought I was going to spring some bad news on him, maybe a pregnancy or a drug problem. Nevertheless, he sat down next to me.

"Dad, you know how I'm moving in with Edward next month?"

"Yes." He stared at me through narrowed eyes.

"Well I just wanted to tell you..." I sighed, "It's not your fault."

Charlie frowned. "Excuse me?"

"What I mean is, I'm not moving away because of you, or because of something you did."

My father sighed. "Bella I don't..."

"No, please. Let me finish." I interrupted. "I love being here, dad. I really enjoy living with you and cooking for you. You're so easy to spend the time with! You and I are so much alike, I feel quite comfortable here."

"Then why are you moving with Edward?" He'd forgotten all about denying his feelings.

"Because I love him, dad." I shrugged. "It's really that simple. I can't wait to start my life with him."

Charlie sighed. "Can't you wait to start that adult life until you're like... thirty?"

I giggled. "This is what I want to do dad, and it has nothing to do with you!" I leaned close to him and whispered in a playful way, "you are a superb roomie."

My dad laughed softly. "It's just that... I just got you back, I can't believe I'm going to lose you again so soon."

"Don't worry dad, it's not like we're never going to see each other again. I'm only moving a few minutes away! I can still come around for dinner sometimes."

"Are you sure you're not just tired of me?"

"I'm positive!"

Charlie smiled and stood up. "Well in that case, we should both go to bed."

"Okay." I stood up too.

"Hey Bells?" He stopped at the bottom of the stairs.

"Yeah dad?"

"Would you like to go out to dinner tomorrow night?"

I smiled sincerely. "I would love to."

------------------------------

The rest of November went by so fast it scared me. Soon, we had only one week left of classes. One week before it happened. Seven days before Edward made me his forever. One hundred and sixty eight hours before I became a vampire.

Alice had the whole week planned for us. She wanted to get me ready for my "vampirization" as she liked to call it. That last Monday of school, I was sitting in the kitchen eating a bowl of cereal when Charlie walked in. He stopped in his tracks and stared pointedly at my hands.

"What happened to your fingers?" He asked worriedly.

I looked down at the ten digits, each of which sported a pink Barbie band-aid around the fingernail. "Alice happened to my fingers." I replied grumpily. "She's trying to get me to stop biting my nails." Her exact words had been, "Are you sure you want to spend eternity with your hands looking like THAT?" but I couldn't tell him that.

Charlie chuckled. "And you're going to school with those things?"

I shrugged. "I have no choice. She'll tie my hands behind my back if I don't. She already tried painting my nails with garlic-smelling nail polish. Unfortunately, I found the extra flavor quite appealing."

My father laughed wholeheartedly. "Well, good luck with that!"

Edward rang the doorbell then. I ran my dishes to the sink and waltzed out of the kitchen. "Bye dad! See you tonight!"

I ran out the door before he even had a chance to see Edward. Charlie understood why I wanted to move in with my boyfriend and had even started to accept my decision, but that didn't make him hate Edward any less. According to my mind-reading boyfriend, in Charlie's eyes he was still the monster who was going to take his baby girl away.

"Here." Edward handed me a large cup full of some hot liquid.

"Well, good morning to you too!" I joked.

He kissed my neck gently and whispered in my ear "We said good morning in bed, remember?" For some reason, his comment made me feel like a naughty teenager.

I smiled at him, and then looked down at the steamy cup. "What's this?"

"Gourmet coffee. It's supposed to be really good."

I took a sip while we walked over to the car. It tasted amazing. "Wow Edward, where did you get it?"

"Port Angeles."

I was so surprised I almost sprayed his leather interiors with the delicious drink. "You drove all the way to Port Angeles to get me coffee?"

Edward ran over to his side of the car and got in. "Yes. It doesn't take me as long as it takes you. Remember?"

"Yeah but still... why did you go through all the trouble?"

He caressed my cheek with the back of his hand. "Because I wanted to, and because this is probably your last Monday as a human. I want you to taste, experience and try as many human things as possible."

I rolled my eyes and groaned. "You're gonna make me eat like a thousand times a day, aren't you?"

"And take many, many naps." He admitted.

I turned around in my seat to face him and placed my hand over the one he was using to change shifts. "You don't have to do this you know? I'm completely convinced of my decision."

He let go of my hand to stroke my cheek once more. "Just because you're willing to die for me, doesn't mean you shouldn't enjoy the earthly pleasures while you still can."

We were already at school when I grumbled out a "fine." He was going to do it anyway, whether I cooperated or not.

--------------------------------

We had a final test before lunch. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Edward's hand flying over the piece of paper. He finished his test in less than five minutes and spent the rest of the hour staring at me intently while I tried to concentrate.

"Don't do that." I hissed.

"Do what?" He whispered back with a laugh.

"Stare at me. It's hard enough to concentrate as it is."

Edward's smile widened "It's hard to concentrate?"

"With you sitting right next to me? Always." Even as I said those words, my cheeks filled with blood, making them all warm and pink. Edward let out a cocky laugh.

The teacher might have been oblivious to our little chat, but Edward's vocal reaction caught her attention. "Eyes on your paper Mr. Cullen."

"Oh, I'm done." Edward sat back on his chair and raised his test for her to take. As she walked past me I heard her mumble under her breath, "Of course you are."

Edward's smile just widened.

--------------------------------------------

He was telling me what he'd heard in our teacher's mind while we walked to the cafeteria. After so many months of dating Edward, I'd gotten used to the stares we tended to get. That day was no exception.

I can't blame people, though. If I'd seen someone as beautiful as Edward guiding a simple girl around the lunch tables with a hand on the small of her back and his lips very close to her ear while she giggled uncontrollably at whatever he was saying, I'd stare too.

We sat down with the rest of the family. They all looked up when they heard us approaching.

"What's so funny?" Emmett was already smiling.

Edward whispered the strand of lustful and envious thoughts that had emanated from our English teacher earlier. Emmett roared with carefree laughter and even Jasper chuckled. Alice rolled her eyes. "I swear, they can be seventeen or three hundred years old it makes no difference. Boys never change."

Rosalie stared intently at her uneaten salad. She was picking up the leaves with her hands and tearing them to shreds. When she caught me staring, she picked up a piece of tomato and squeezed it between her fingers with such force it squirted red liquid powerfully in the direction of my face.

I closed my eyes to avoid the spray, but the wetness never came. When I opened them up again, Edward had his hand in front of my face. He looked furious.

"Do that again, and I'll cut your hair when you're not looking."

Rosalie opened her mouth to reply but thought better of it. She stood up, shoved her tray into the garbage can with a little more force than she probably should have, and stormed out of the cafeteria.

Emmett gave Edward an exasperated look. "Dude, was that really necessary? I'm the one she's going to take it out on!" And with that, he got up and left after his wife.

I was mortified. My face had turned beet red and my palms were sweaty. "I hate fights." I whispered.

"Forget about it and eat your lunch." Edward wrapped an arm around my shoulders to comfort me.

"Okay." I started to get up, but Edward applied pressure on my shoulders to make me sit back down.

"Where are you going?"

I looked up at him, surprised. "To get some food?" It sounded more like a question than an answer.

"I have food for you."

Alice smiled and produced from under the table three tupperwares. One of them had pasta, the other one contained meatballs and the third some Caesar's salad.

I groaned. "You're going to do this all week long, aren't you?"

Edward smiled. "I thought we'd already discussed this."

"Yes but still... Won't it look weird if I suddenly eat lunches brought from home every day? Hot lunches, to top it all."

He just shrugged. "People bring their own food all the time, Bella. Besides, do you really want your last lunches to be cafeteria food?"

I raised my eyebrows. "Well, what do you know? Maybe the food here is great."

Edward rolled his eyes. "The food here is barely edible."

"How do you know? You've never tasted it!" I was smiling when I said that, I was trying to keep things light so he wouldn't feel offended.

"Cafeteria food has had a reputation of tasting like cardboard for many, many years." Edward winked at me and I pouted. "Well, if you'd rather eat stale pizza..."

He took the spaghetti away from me. "No!" I shrieked a little louder than I intended.

Edward smiled and handed me back the container. "Good girl."

---------------------------------

After school, Alice took me to get a haircut. I insisted on keeping the same length, so they didn't do much. My hair had no real style, the guy at the mall tried to talk me into some new, layered cut. I refused. I'd rather spend all eternity with plain hair thank you very much.

Edward tagged along, which surprised me a little. He usually stayed far away from the whole girl thing. I figured he probably wanted to spend as much time with my human self as he could.

That night, my dad arrived while Edward was still helping me study for Tuesday's final. He invited him to stay for dinner. Unfortunately, Edward couldn't say no. Charlie looked like he wanted him there, which scared me a little.

As soon as the three of us were sitting around the table with steak and potatoes on our plates, my father attacked Edward.

"So, Edward, have you thought about what you're going to do with your life?"

I almost choked on my milk, but Edward smiled and answered, "I'm thinking about becoming a doctor like my father."

"Oh really? Medicine eh? Won't it take you like ten years before you can really start practicing?"

"Well... yes, and no. But we're not in a hurry, are we Bella?" I couldn't even grasp how he'd dragged me into that conversation. It took me forever to figure out whether I was supposed to nod or shake my head.

"Hmp." Charlie grumbled. "A decade is a very long time, Edward. What if you want to start a family and have no way of supporting them?" My head was spinning so fast I was almost dizzy. How had the conversation gone so wrong?

"Rest assured, Mr. Swan, Bella won't go hungry next to me. I'm a hard worker, and I have plenty of savings." Edward noticed my suffering and took my hand under the table to reassure me everything was fine.

"Oh yes, your father mentioned something about you having money. Where did that come from by the way?"

"Dad!" I finally interrupted. Even though I knew Edward was okay with all the prodding, I was mortified.

"It's all right Bella. It's natural for your father to be curious. If I were in his place I'd do the same thing." Edward smiled at me and turned back to my dad. "My birth mother died when I was very young, that's how I came to be a Cullen. She was alone and had no family, but she did have quite a bit of money. She made a trust fund for me before passing away. My birth father also left everything to me, and Carlisle opened bank accounts for all of us kids when we turned fifteen. I own some stock and a few small properties all over the country."

Charlie was impressed, no doubt. He probably hadn't expected Edward to have that much money, or be that well organized. The speechlessness, much to my dismay, lasted only a few seconds.

"Just because people have been kind enough to give you so much doesn't mean you know how to handle it." It was probably his last defense.

"I know. I try to be as careful with my assets as possible, though. Plus, Bella is great with numbers." Edward winked at me. My dad just sighed.

"Well kids, it sounds like you have it all figured out."

"For the most part, yeah." I smiled at my dad.

He shoved a piece of meat into his mouth and chewed silently. "When do you want to move?" He asked after he'd swallowed.

"Sat..." I started to say, but Edward interrupted me. "Actually, Bella. I have a little surprise for you. I want to take you on a cruise for the first two weeks of December."

I lifted my eyebrows and went along with his new story. "Oh really? Wow Edward, that's amazing!" I got up from my chair and leaned down to hug him where he sat. Edward laughed and hugged me back.

"A cruise?" I whispered in his ear.

"In case you didn't notice, your father was about to offer his help with the move. I'd rather just keep him away from you for a few weeks after your transformation."

"Ahem." Charlie reminded us of his presence. I sat back down on my chair to finish my meal.

"Well kids, I really hope everything works out for you."

To my surprise, Charlie sounded really sincere. When I looked up I thought I saw his eyes shining a little.

"Thank you Chief Swan." Edward forced down some potatoes.

"Oh please, call me Charlie." My dad couldn't help but wrinkle his forehead when he said. "After all, we're practically family."

---------------------------------------------

I laid down on my bed and made room for Edward, but he just stood there.

"Are you going to join me, or do you plan to stand there all night?" I teased.

"Actually, I need to leave for a few minutes."

I frowned and sat up. "Why?"

"Because I have a stomach full of meat and potatoes." He said that with such a disgusted look on his face I started giggling.

"Oh you think it's funny, don't you?" He grimaced.

"No, I don't. I'm really, really sorry." I got up and went to hug him, but he stopped me.

"I'd rather go get rid of it before anything else happens." If he could've, he would've turned green.

"Go." I encouraged him.

"Thank you!" He sighed, relieved, and dashed out the window.

I was already half asleep when he returned. He pulled me close to his body and rested a cold hand on my stomach. I slept with a smile on my face.

-----------------------------------------

On Tuesday, Edward made me eat blueberry muffins and hot chocolate for breakfast, a gourmet hamburger with french fries for lunch and a thousand different snacks in between.

I was lying face down on his bed that afternoon while he tried to talk me into another piece of chocolate.

"Seriously, Edward. If you shove one more piece of candy down my throat you're going to get a glance at everything you've made me eat today when I send it flying all over your carpet." The pillow I was pressing to my face muffled my voice.

Edward laughed and tossed the chocolate bar aside. "Fine, I'll give you a rest. But only until dinner time."

I groaned and rolled on my side. "You're like the witch in Hansel and Gretel."

"Well, so what if I like my meals well stuffed?"

I threw him my pillow playfully and he caught it easily before it hit him in the face.

"Did you just throw this at me?" He tried to look outraged.

"Well did you just call me your meal? Please try to keep your cravings to yourself."

He lifted his eyebrows in a playful manner "Oh I'll show you my real cravings." He pounced on me and pinned me down on the bed, one of his hands holding me down while the other one snuck under my shirt and tickled my sides.

I laughed and trashed around, trying to get him to stop. When he finally did, he held himself up above me. His eyes stared at my messed up hair and flushed cheeks. I was breathing hard and could feel my heart racing under my skin. I knew he could feel that too.

My shirt was all crumpled up, leaving my abdomen bare. He let go of my wrists and caressed my exposed skin lightly. Slowly, he lowered his face and traced the contours of my mouth with his bottom lip. Then, he whispered against my lips "This is what I crave." And he kissed me, slowly and sweetly.

I ran my hands through his hair, gently pressing him closer to me. He stilled for a moment, waiting to see if I was going to attack him like I used to. I didn't, but not because he'd ceased to affect me that way, I'd just gotten better at controlling my impulses around him.

When he sensed I needed to breathe, he rolled off me and laid down on his side. "Bella, we should talk about some things."

"Like what?"

"Like... at what time would you like me to change you? Early in the morning? Late at night?"

I shrugged. "It doesn't matter, as long as you stay with me."

He caressed my face with his fingertips. "That's a given. Carlisle and I will watch over you. Don't worry."

I shifted uncomfortably and he frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Well... I was kind of hoping we could do this by ourselves. I want it to be ours."

Edward sighed. "Bella, there is nothing romantic or glamorous about you trashing in pain for three days."

"No, I know. But still, it's something I want us to go through just the two of us." I loved all the Cullens to death, but the idea of them sitting there uncomfortably, staring at me while I sobbed and screamed was not very appealing.

Edward kissed the tip of my nose and smiled. "If that's what you want, then okay."

"Good. I'd also like it to happen in our meadow."

Edward sat up so fast he startled me. "Are you mad? You want to lie on the hard ground in a humid forest for three days? What if it rains? It's December, it's very cold outside!"

I shrugged. "What's the cold going to do? Kill me? Besides, judging by my last experience, I think the cold air might be refreshing."

"Why do you want to do it there?"

"Because that's the place where I really met you, the first time you were completely yourself around me. That was when I first realized I'm in love with you. My life started when I met you, I'd like to come full circle."

Edward smiled and held my chin between his fingers. "How can I say no to that adorable speech?"

I blushed scarlet. "Yeah, well, you bring out my corny side."

Edward laughed and pulled me on top of him. "Oh trust me, that's nothing compared to what goes through my mind every moment I'm with you."

I rolled my eyes. "Come on, what can be cornier than me telling you my life started when I met you?"

He had both his hands on my waist, so he ran them up the length of my body all the way to my cheeks. He framed my face, just inches away from his. "Bella, you _are_ my life. I live solely for you."

His eyes were hypnotizing me. I had to clear my throat before being able to say "You were alive for many years before I came along."

"Pfft, that hardly counts. I existed, but I wasn't really living."

His words, his lips, his eyes, they were all leaving me breathless. "That wasn't corny." I whispered, out of breath.

"Well, neither was your speech."

He lowered my lips to his. I felt the familiar tingle going through me, starting were my mouth met his and ending at the tip of my toes. It took all my willpower to concentrate on something other than the intense kiss. Ever so slowly, I reached for the pillow next to us.

I sat up in a flash, leaving Edward so startled he never saw the soft object coming. I hit him square in the face.

"Oh you want to play dirty Miss Swan?" He growled playfully. I leaped out of his arms and ran for the door.

I practically flew down a flight of stairs, giggling all the way. When I got to the second floor I started walking backwards, away from the staircase. I was amazed he'd let me get that far, and at the same time a little nervous because it meant he probably had a plan.

When I walked past Alice's bedroom I saw something so mesmerizing, it made me forget our game completely. Alice was lying down on the bed with her head hanging over the edge. Jasper was sitting on the floor, right in front of her, gently caressing her short strands of hair while kissing her upside down.

I had never seen those two having a romantic moment and it suddenly struck me how incredibly attractive they both were, how beautiful they looked together and how much they loved each other.

"You better keep running Bella." Alice's voice startled me.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to sneak up on you guys like this!" I apologized quickly.

"Bella, you keep forgetting, you can't sneak up on us. I smelled you coming the moment you opened Edward's door." Jasper murmured against Alice's mouth.

"Down the hall, to the left. Quickly." Alice urged.

I took her advice and ran down the hall, figuring she'd seen Edward's plan in her mind and was trying to give me some leverage. I opened the door on the left and ran in, closing it behind me. The room seemed small, like maybe a closet, and it was pitch black. I giggled uncontrollably, knowing my efforts to hide from Edward were useless, but still enjoying the pursuit.

"And what are you giggling about?"

Edward's voice startled me so much I yelped. He lifted me by the waist and wrapped my legs around his middle in one swift move. Then he gently pressed me against the wall and leaned his body against mine.

I felt heat rising in every place where his body came into contact with mine, so basically everywhere. He leaned in, pressing his body even harder against my own, and traced my jaw with his nose. He took a deep breath, taking in my scent, and kissed my throat gently.

I shuddered and became pudding in his arms when he started tracing kisses all over my face. He placed his lips against my cheek. I could feel him smiling. Then, he whispered.

"I win."

I'd have to kill Alice later.

---------------------------------------------

That night, I had the nightmare again. Edward fighting that vampire Alice had seen in her visions months before, to keep him from getting to me. The pain of a vampire bite burning my body whole, my blood spilled all around, Edward about to be killed, saying goodbye. But that night, it was different. That night, the dream went a little further. For a few moments, just when the other vampire was about to tear Edward to pieces, I saw brightness, lots of it, all around me.

I woke up, a little shaken up and bathed in cold sweat, but silently. Unlike every other time I'd had the nightmare, I didn't need Edward there to calm me down. It was as if the dream had reached its end.

"Edward?" I whispered into the darkness.

"I'm right here." His answer came from the rocking chair, but before I could even register that, he was sitting on the bed next to me.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah." I frowned.

"You were starting to get a little restless, I was about to come over here and wake you up." He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. "You're clammy, are you sure you're all right?"

"I'm okay."

His frown matched my own. "Did you have a nightmare?"

I looked up at him -confusion written all over my face- and answered sincerely

"I don't know."

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_-_

_First of all, I'm sorry it took me so freakin' long to update (finals will be the death of me) and I also have to apologize because this wasn't were I wanted the seventh chapter to end. I wanted to go a little further, but the place were I wanted to leave it is like thirty pages away, and this chapter is already really long, so I thought I'd post this piece now and add a new chapter sometime next week. So consider this chapter seven and a half ;) Unfortunately, it's the half with no apparent plot… again. Oops_

_I have to thank all of you who review my silly stories. You make my day! A special thanks to those who tell me about my spelling mistakes, I promise never to use contempt again ;) I swear I write these things with a dictionary next to me! Hehe.  
_

_Well kids, have a good weekend! Good luck to those of you who are in finals or getting there!_


	8. Foreplay 2

**Nightfall**

-

**Foreplay 2**

-

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_His frown matched my own. "Did you have a nightmare?"_

_I looked up at him, confusion written all over my face, and answered sincerely_

_"I don't know."_

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Edward dismissed my dream quickly. He told me it probably meant nothing and reminded me of how tired I'd been before going to bed that night. He took me in his arms and stroked my hair until I fell asleep.

As I was drifting off, I heard him sigh. Apparently, I wasn't the only one who thought there was more to the dream.

I woke up the next morning and felt even more groggy than usual. I'd been playing the dream over and over in my head for most of the night until exhaustion took over. I still couldn't figure out what was bugging me so much about it.

The space next to me in bed was empty. I sat up and rubbed my sleepy eyes with the back of my hands, expecting to find Edward sitting on the rocking chair, but he wasn't there.

I looked around the room and whispered, feeling quite idiotic, "Edward?" No answer. As I was getting up, my hand brushed against a folded piece of paper that had been placed next to my pillow. It had my name on it, written in Edward's beautiful handwriting. Inside I found a small message.

_"I'll explain later. Don't worry about your first class. Be safe."_

Needless to say, I was confused. I was still trying to decipher the message when my eyes caught sight of the clock next to my bed. It read nine am.

"Oh my god!" I scrambled out of bed and tore off my pajamas, seriously hoping Edward wasn't lurking around somewhere because I had no time to be modest. I raced down the stairs brushing my teeth, combing my hair and kicking my shoes in front of me, all at the same time, almost killing myself in the process. I rinsed my mouth in the kitchen sink, grabbed a stale granola bar and a half empty carton of milk and practically flew to the door, frantically searching for my car keys on the way.

I threw the door open and instantly stopped in my tracks. I was so stunned I almost had a heart attack. My hand flew to my chest, dropping the carton of milk in the process. A graceful, white hand reached out and caught the container before it hit the ground.

"Alice?" I frowned at my sister-to-be.

"Hi Bella! You're riding with me today."

My heart calmed down slowly. "Where's Edward?"

"He went hunting with Carlisle." Alice stared down at the milk she was holding and made a face. She threw the carton behind her back. It landed in the garbage can several feet away. She pointed at the trunk of the Volvo. I could see a cup of something - probably chocolate or coffee - and a piece of pie waiting for me on top of it.

I shook my head to clear it. "Edward went hunting again?" He'd gone just a few days before.

"This time they went looking for something a little bit more filling than deer."

"Why?" I asked.

"Well sweetie, if Edward is going to spend his Saturday sucking the life out of you, he better be full enough to resist slurping you dry."

I should've been scared, or at the very least insulted by being referred to as something as edible as a milkshake, but instead I just shrugged. "Makes sense."

"Yeah." Alice nodded enthusiastically before getting in the car.

---------------------------------------

During the ride to school, Alice confessed she'd mentioned to Edward that I was going to be late for school if he didn't set the alarm for me before leaving. I hadn't used the alarm clock in months. After all, who wants to wake up to an annoying beep when you can have a delicious kiss instead? Besides, Edward was way more reliable than any alarm clock... when he happened to be there, anyway.

He had apparently chosen to let me sleep in, and Alice was more than happy to skip her first class in order to wait for me.

That morning I sat alone during Math. Mike noticed and sat down next to me, much to Jessica's dismay, I noticed.

"Hey Bella! How are you?"

"I'm good Mike, how are you?" I answered politely.

"I'm great! Where's Cullen today?" So he'd noticed.

"_Edward_ is sick today. He has a stomach virus, the poor guy."

Mike straddled the chair he was sitting on and rested his chin against his arms. I looked around nervously for the teacher, but she was nowhere to be found. I'd been so caught up in my own thoughts I hadn't even noticed she'd left the room until then.

"He seems to do that a lot, doesn't he?"

"Uh?" I tried to focus on my conversation with Mike.

"Cullen. He's been sick quite a bit lately."

I thought about that. He'd had the flu last week, and a cold a couple of weeks before that. Not to mention chicken pox the month before thanks to a streak of good weather that had made me hate the sun for the first time in my life.

"Well he helps his dad out at the hospital sometimes. Some people there can be pretty contagious." I was amazed at my ability to lie.

"Oh." Mike had nothing else to say, thank goodness.

Jessica, who had probably been overhearing the whole conversation, waltzed over to us and flashed me a toothy smile "Hi Bella! Are you going to the winter dance on Saturday?"

Mike's head snapped up in attention. He seemed almost hopeful. Jessica, however, had the whole thing planned. She knew I probably wasn't going to go because I'd told her repeatedly about my feelings towards dancing. She also knew for a fact that, should I decide to go, I'd obviously be hanging from the arm of my boyfriend. It sounded to me like she just wanted to get me out of Mike's head.

I thought about that Saturday, and about what I'd be doing while the kids in school waltzed around the gym. "No, I'm not going to the dance. You know how I hate those things. I swear, Edward will not talk me into this one."

Mike looked disappointed, and so did Taylor - who was sitting a couple of desks away - the silly, delusional idiot.

The bell rang then. I shot up from my seat and started gathering my things. I thought about enduring the stares and questions of my high school friends over lunch and stiffened a groan. I was in no mood to deal with Jessica's jealousy or Mike's blindness, but Edward had left me alone, so apparently I was stuck.

At that moment, Alice danced into the classroom and called my name. "Come on Bella! You take forever! Jasper will be so upset if he gets to the cafeteria before me."

Everyone in the room stared while she gracefully jumped over backpacks and books to get to me. She took my hand in hers, grabbed my backpack and hurried out the room, practically dragging me along and chatting over her shoulder. "I want to run an idea by you. You can say no, of course, and Edward would probably kill me for even suggesting it."

We were already in the cafeteria by then. Alice half ran over to our usual table and sank down gracefully next to Jasper, who was looking a bit anxious. I could've sworn I saw her nodding slightly in his direction before he took a long breath and relaxed. I sat down next to Emmett. Rosalie ignored me, as usual.

"So Bella, there's something I would like to do before Edward turns you." Alice's eyes were shining with excitement.

I frowned. "What?"

"Just remember, I'm suggesting this for your own good. I don't want you to miss out on anything and this is something I'm sure you haven't done. Something you won't be able to do once you become one of us."

I was starting to get suspicious. "What?"

"I want to get you drunk!"

"What!" I was outraged. Emmett's eyes snapped open like saucers. He glanced at Alice, then at me and back at her before bursting out laughing.

"Please, don't get me wrong. I love how you've never gotten around to doing such a thing. I just think there is a very big difference between knowing about something and actually doing it. I want you to have that experience."

I scowled. Losing control of myself had never appealed to me. "But Alice, what if Edward comes home? I can't afford to lose my inhibitions around him while I'm still human. It takes all of my restrain not to throw myself at him every time he's near!" I admitted with embarrassment.

Alice smiled. "You'll probably be back to normal long before he gets home. And even if you aren't, I'm sure he has enough restrain for both of you. I just want you to know what it's like, and maybe once you've been through it you can describe it properly for me."

"Oh no no, do not play the "I have no human memories" card." I shook my head.

Alice made a face that reminded me of a scared little deer and pouted. "Pleeease Bella! I promise it'll be fun!"

I sighed. "When he was human, did Edward ever..."

"No." Alice answered sincerely. I gave her a sad smile.

"Okay."

"Yes?" She shrieked in excitement.

"If you promise to take care of me, and not let me get _too_ drunk, then yes."

Emmett whooped and Alice giggled. "I promise to try."

I took a bite of the salad she shoved in my direction and smiled. "So, you knew I'd say yes all along.

"Obviously. Yeah."

"And I'm sure you already bought the alcohol."

She gave me a sheepish smile.

I sighed. "So, what am I drinking?"

Her eyes lit up. "Tequila!"

---------------------------------------

I dialed my father's number while Alice jumped up and down eagerly.

"Hello?"

"Dad? Hi! Erm... I was calling because... well, Edward is out of town today."

Charlie was quiet for a moment. Then he said, "Oh."

"Yeah, anyway, Alice wants to have a slumber party tonight."

"Tell him it's a farewell party for your human side. Or for your virginity, which ever works." Alice whispered. I tried to get as far away from her as the cord of the phone would allow.

"Are the Cullens going to be there?" Charlie asked his usual question.

It was ridiculous, really. I was going to move in with my boyfriend in just three days and he was asking if Alice and I were going to be supervised by an adult that night. I decided not to say anything and let him enjoy his parental moment. "Yes dad, Esme is going to be here all night."

"Well, okay then. But don't stay up too late, Bells. It's a school night."

"Okay dad. See you tomorrow."

"Good night Bella."

I hung up the phone and turned around, planning to choke Alice until I remembered I couldn't kill her by depriving her of oxygen.

"Alice, you are terrible." I grumbled.

"Thank you!" She laughed and took my hand, pulling me towards the living room where Emmett and Jasper were waiting with the bottle.

I sat down in front of the shot glass and lemons they had for me. "So what? Am I supposed to just start drinking this thing?"

The three young looking vampires stared at me. "Well, yeah." Emmett shrugged.

Jasper poured a healthy amount of liquid into the glass. Even he looked eager to find out what would happen. I took a deep breath, grabbed the glass firmly and placed it against my lips. The alcohol burned my nostrils before I even drank it.

"Hum, guys? I don't think I can do this."

Alice sighed, but Emmett jumped in "Okay, how about a game?"

"A game?" I frowned.

"Yes, a drinking game."

My frown deepened. "Well that's not fair, you guys can't drink!"

Jasper shrugged "Technically, we can. We won't get drunk but trust me, it will be every bit as uncomfortable for us as it's going to be for you."

"Oh no come on, I don't want you guys to do something you don't want to do!"

Emmett raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that kind of what we're doing to you?"

I gave him a crooked smile "You do have a point there. Are you three willing to ingest this thing for me?"

The three vampires nodded eagerly.

I shrugged. "So, what are we playing?"

---------------------------------------

"Okay, this next game is called "I've never" and it goes like this. We will each say something that we've never done, and anyone who _has_ done it takes a drink." Emmett seemed to know way too much about drinking games.

After a stupid game that required hand coordination, one that required verbal abilities and one that I still don't really get, we were finally going to play something that I could beat them at.

"Well I'm game but you should know, I haven't done much in my life." I warned.

"Oh really? I'll start. I've never fallen in love with a human." Jasper smiled smugly.

"Well I'm sorry Jasper, but the only one who would drink to that is Edward." I pointed out with a grin.

"Fine then, I've never fallen in love with a vampire while being a human."

I sighed and drowned my glass. The burning sensation I'd felt during the first five shots was long gone by then. It took me longer than it should have to put the glass back on the table. By then, I'd lost sensibility in my arms and legs.

"Dude!" Emmett groaned. He drank his shot and made a hideous face.

"Oh come on! Really?" Jasper rolled his eyes.

"What can I say? It was love at first sight." Emmett's smile was contagious. I found myself grinning too.

"I've got one!" I called out "I've never fallen in love with a vampire while being a vampire."

Alice and Jasper smiled at each other while they drank. Then it was Alice's turn.

"I've never gotten a bikini wax... that I know of."

I didn't drink, but Emmett did.

"Oh god, what is wrong with you?" Jasper teased him. I'd never seen him act so carefree.

"You don't wanna know." Emmett shook his head, probably repressing terrible memories.

I giggled. Emmett went next. "I've never worn women's underwear."

Jasper looked insulted "I am never telling you anything again! It was one time! And it was her fault!" He pointed at Alice. She smiled up at him in a very private way. Jasper smiled back and said under his breath. "The experience did have one positive outcome."

"And what an enjoyable experience it was." Alice whispered.

I flushed tomato red, feeling like an intruder in their private talk. Jasper finally looked away from his wife. His eyes shone with the idea of revenge. "I've never gone skinny dipping."

"Oh yes, you have." Alice pointed out, a sexy look in her eyes.

"Not in a lake full of piranhas."

"Oh so what? It's not like they can hurt me!" Emmett looked embarrassed though. I figured there was more to that story but I didn't ask and they didn't tell me.

I was laughing so hard my stomach hurt. "Turn me? I mean, my turn? Fine. I've never had sex."

Emmett frowned "Really? Oh you're in for a treat, little girl!" Jasper and Alice both gave him weird looks. "Wait... that didn't come out right..."

"You know what?" Alice smiled. "I think we should do something different. I think we should dance!" She was across the room, fiddling with the stereo before I could protest.

Loud, electronic music filled the room. Alice pulled me up, ignoring my complaints, and twirled around, jumping up and down. She looked like a graceful ballerina. I looked like a sack of potatoes bouncing around in the back of a truck.

"Alice stop." I groaned. A sudden wave of euphoria hit me, but that was probably Jasper's doing.

"Yes Alice, please do. You call that dancing?" Emmett changed the music to something I recognized from my father's collection. "This, is dancing!"

He grabbed me by the waist and lifted me up in the air. Emmett shook around, taking me with him, and twirled all around the room. My feet never even touched the ground.

When he shoved me under his spread legs and threw me in the air, it happened. I closed my eyes and welded my lips shut.

"Emmett... I think you better put her down." Alice warned.

"Oh come on! This is fun!" He kept throwing me in the air. I wasn't going to be able to hold on much longer.

"Emmett! Put her down!" His eyes went wide as realization hit him. I clamped my hand over my mouth and made a run for the bathroom as soon as my feet touched the floor.

-------------------------------------------

I groaned loudly. The echo inside the toilet bowl made my voice sound even more pained. "Alice I swear, if you weren't already dead..." Another wave of nausea hit me then, and I was unable to finish my threat.

A guilty looking Alice held my hair back while I emptied my stomach.

"Jasper, can't you do something?" She asked in desperation.

Jasper, who was leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest, answered. "I can change her mood, but not her blood alcohol level." He actually sounded amused.

I moaned and leaned against the cold porcelain. "I want Edward."

"He's not here Bells. He'll be home tomorrow." Alice explained for the thousandth time. She sounded anxious, almost hopeful.

Emmett, who was having the most fun with my situation, grinned when I let go of the toilet and slipped to the floor. "This is better than TV!"

"You're being mean." I pouted.

"Aww come on Bella! It's been decades since I've seen someone this plastered! You remind me of my youth. I went to some good parties back in the days."

"Why am I not surprised?" I mumbled.

"Uh oh." Alice stood very straight, her eyes wide.

"What?" I asked.

"Edward's back." She whispered. She'd probably seen him on his way home hours before, but had been hoping the future would shift.

Emmett let out a low whistle. "You are on your own sis." He disappeared from the room in record time.

"Bella, quick! Try to look sober." I gave Alice a queasy look. She rolled her eyes. "Nah, don't even bother. He can probably smell you from the driveway." She walked out of the bathroom with Jasper and closed the door behind her.

I wanted to leap up and run to meet Edward. I craved his arms desperately. Unfortunately, I was unable to sit up straight, let alone move.

I didn't even hear him approach. All of a sudden, his voice sounded loud and clear in the hall.

"What happened?" He asked someone, probably Alice.

"Don't be mad Edward, I did it for her own good."

"Did what for her own good? Do not shut me out of your mind! What's going on?" He sounded really mad.

"She's okay Edward! It just got a little out of hand." Alice pleaded.

He sniffed. "You got her drunk." It wasn't a question.

"I don't want her to miss out on anything!"

"Well you should've waited for me!" He slammed the bathroom door open. The noise made me jump, but he had his arms around me in a second.

"Bella? Honey, are you okay?" I looked up at his beautiful, concerned features.

"I am now." I whispered at my wonderful angel.

He lifted my chin with his hand and looked me over. I blushed deeply, suddenly aware of my wrinkled clothes and sweaty hair, not to mention the fact that I'd spent the better part of the evening with my head inside a toilet bowl.

Edward kissed my forehead and asked, "How are you feeling?"

I took a deep breath, inhaling his heavenly scent. "Much better now that you're here."

He cradled me to his chest and lifted me up. "Hey! Where are you taking me?" I protested.

"To our bed." He answered simply.

"I'm not sure I'm done here, you know?" I mumbled, embarrassed.

"It doesn't matter. You need to lie down." He was halfway to his room by then, even though he was walking way slower than usual for my benefit.

"But what if I throw up all over the bed?"

He moved my hair away from my forehead with his cheek and kissed me "Then I'll change the sheets in the morning."

He set me down carefully on his side of the bed and then walked around to pull the sheets back on my side. Then, he tucked me in gently.

"Can you at least get me a trash can or something?" He placed an elegant wastepaper basket next to me before I was even done asking.

Without saying a word, he opened one of my drawers and pulled out a pair of pajamas that Alice had bought for me a few months before. He handed me the silk pants and asked, "Can you change on your own or do you want me to help?"

"I think I can do it myself." I took the pajamas from his hands and he turned around respectfully. I pulled off my jeans without getting up and maneuvered my way into the loose pants. Then I took off my sweat-soaked top and slipped my arms into the soft shirt. The buttons, however, proved to be too much of a challenge for me.

Edward must have heard my fiddling, because he peeked over his shoulder and then sat down next to me on the bed. He pulled my hands away from the shirt and stared at me with a gentle smile on his face. "I think you missed a few holes, beautiful."

His cold fingers undid the buttons again. Edward, always the gentleman, was very careful not to expose too much of my skin while he worked. He couldn't stop himself, however, from gently tracing the small line of exposed skin that went from my throat to my waist with his cold fingers. I shivered, but not from the temperature of his hands. It's amazing I managed to keep myself calm.

He took a shaky breath and got me properly dressed quickly. Then he stood up to get himself ready for bed.

I stared at him while he took off his shoes and unbuttoned his shirt. He joined me in bed immediately afterwards and pulled me towards him.

"You look very clean." I mentioned.

He frowned at my statement "Why, thank you."

"No, I mean... you went hunting, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"Well, shouldn't you be covered in dirt or blood or something?"

He raised an eyebrow "Do you get food all over your clothes every time you eat?"

"Depends on what I eat."

He smiled "Well, I'm careful when I dine out."

I glared incredulously at him.

"And I like to take my shirt off when I hunt." He admitted with a laugh.

I smiled weakly at him "That's a nice mental image."

His face fell. Had I not been so used to his mood swings, I would've been surprised. "It's not a pretty picture, Bella."

"I know. But anything that involves you without your shirt on can't be that bad."

He looked like he wanted to contradict me but thought better of it. Instead he mentioned, "You sound oddly eloquent for someone with so much alcohol in her blood stream."

I shrugged "I carry my drunkenness well."

"So it appears." He held me close. I pressed my warm face against his chest and sighed in content. Then I closed my eyes.

"Oh god!" I moaned.

"What?" He asked in alarm.

"The room is spinning."

Edward laughed and shifted us around, so I could be a little closer to the edge of the bed. "Put your foot on the ground. It will help."

I did what he said and closed my eyes again. It did help a little.

"Better?"

"Kinda."

"Good. Now go to sleep." He turned off the bedside lamp and kissed the top of my head.

"Edward?"

"Yes?"

"I love you so much."

I felt his breath on my face before he kissed my lips tenderly. "I love you too my beautiful, intoxicated soul mate."

I fell asleep with a smile on my lips.

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I moaned while seriously considering drowning myself in the tub. The bathroom was dark except for a couple of candles that Edward had gotten for me. I'd felt incredibly relieved upon discovering they weren't scented.

Edward walked in noiselessly as usual. He had a glass full of something red in his hand.

"Here, drink this. It'll make you feel better." He knelt down next to the bathtub and handed me the glass. I looked down quickly to make sure my body was completely covered by the bubbles before taking a sip.

It tasted worse than what I'd thrown up the night before.

"Oh my god, Edward! What is in this thing?"

"Don't ask." He was trying very hard not to look amused. "You know, you can stay home today if you want to. School is going to be hell for you."

"As much as I would love to stay, I can't. I have... Oh crap!" I sat up so fast I slipped and slid backwards at tremendous speed. Edward caught the back of my head just before I cracked it open with the edge of the tub.

"What's wrong?" He asked, alarmed.

"We have a test! I forgot the test!" I started to panic.

"The global studies test? It's easy Bella." He dismissed my concern.

"Easy for you! I needed to study for that!" My headache suddenly caught up with me and I had to rest my head back.

"Bella, calm down. There are more important things in life than a test. You're getting killed the day after tomorrow, do you seriously care about a high school class?"

I opened my mouth to reply but realized quickly that he was right. "Well I still have to take it." I grumbled.

"In that case we better get going. We're going to be late."

I waited for him to leave so I could get out of the tub, but he never did. He unfolded a towel and held it open for me to step into it like a little child getting out of the pool.

I raised my eyebrows and he rolled his eyes. "Bella, do you have a headache?"

"Yes." I answered

"Are you a little dizzy?"

"A little."

"Does the room spin around when you close your eyes?"

I pouted. "Just a bit."

"Then I'm not leaving you alone in a slippery bathroom. Now come on, I'll close my eyes."

I blushed deep red. He sighed. "Would you like me to go get Alice?"

"I'm not crippled Edward! I can get out of the tub!" I crossed my arms stubbornly.

"Please, Bella. I would really like to avoid a trip to the ER this morning. I swear I won't peek."

I knew he wouldn't, of course, so I mumbled a fine. He closed his eyes obediently and I stood up, carefully getting out. His hand shot out to steady me when I stumbled.

"Hey!" I shrieked.

"I did not peek, Bella." He wrapped the towel around me. His cool fingers touched my warm arms and my wet throat. His eyes were still closed.

"Then how did you know that I was about to fall?" I asked in a whisper, my voice quivered in response to his touch.

"I feel you, Bella. I don't need to see you or smell you to know you're there. I know when you're around me. I can feel what you're doing. I can sense your every move."

I walked over to the nearest wall and leaned against it, dragging Edward along by the hand. I slid down to the floor, taking him with me, and pulled his head close to my chest. His eyes were still closed, so I lowered the towel just a tiny bit, enough for his cheek to rest over my heart.

He seemed surprise by my behavior, but also deeply grateful. I knew how much he was going to miss my heartbeat after the change. He leaned his forehead against my neck and sighed in content.

"See? You might be able to sense my moves, but you can't predict them." I whispered playfully into his hair.

He chuckled against my sensitive skin, making me shiver. "I don't think even Alice can be one hundred percent accurate when it comes to you."

He lifted me from the cold floor and sat me down on his lap, his head leaving the curve of my neck only for a moment. I noticed he had not opened his eyes once.

"Even though I still have my fears and doubts about changing you, I can honestly say I can't wait until you're indestructible."

His nose traced a line from my neck to the top of my hair. He pulled my head down to his chest and rested his cheek against my forehead. I felt so at ease in his arms, I forgot all about my headache. "You mean you'll be glad when you don't feel the need to spend every minute with me?"

He chuckled again. "Don't be ridiculous, Bella. I'm still going to be the overprotective, extremely jealous boyfriend that you're used to. I'll just feel... better. More at ease." He brushed back a piece of stray hair from my forehead. "You make me nervous."

I frowned. "I do?"

"Of course. I worry about you every second of every day. When I'm with you I'm scared that I might forget myself for a moment and crush you to death. When I'm without you it terrifies me, because I know you can get into so much trouble on your own."

I sat up, took his face between my hands, and gently slid his eyelids open. He looked down at me with such love and devotion he almost made me cry. My heart started beating wildly when his knuckles traced the contours of my face. I'd forgotten to pull my towel up, which meant I was sporting a rather plunging neckline, but at that moment I didn't even notice.

He closed his eyes once again and leaned in closer to my face. When he was so close our lips were almost touching, he blew cold air gently over my burning skin. I concentrated hard on not doing two things, attacking him and passing out.

I bit my lip to help with my restrain and took in as much of his scent as my lungs would allow. Edward noticed and leaned in even closer. Our lips were so close to touching. All I had to do was press against him.

A loud knock on the door made me jump up in surprise. Edward slammed his head back so fast to avoid the otherwise inevitable collision with mine, that he punched a hole through the bathroom wall with the back of his head. Bits of plaster showered us instantly.

"Oops. I'm sorry, guys." Emmett's voice was a cross between amusement and regret. "Esme wanted me to tell you that you're going to be late for school."

"Oh my god Edward! Are you okay?" Instincts took over when I pulled his head down to examine it.

"Of course I'm okay Bella." He answered gently. "We'll be right there, Emmett. And you're fixing the hole in the wall!" Edward replied to his brother in a normal, but clearly annoyed voice.

"No wonder Alice told me not to knock." Emmett mumbled to himself.

I chuckled and stood up, brushing bits of plaster away from my hair with my left hand while holding my towel up with my right one. As soon as I was completely vertical though, my hangover resurfaced with a vengeance.

"Oh." I groaned and closed my eyes.

"Here." Edward handed me a pair of jeans, an expensive looking shirt, a tight little brown sweater, pink socks and underwear. "You better change quickly. We're so late, even I might not be able to get us to school on time."

He turned around but didn't leave the bathroom. I sighed and pulled on the clothes. It'd take me too much time and effort to fight him for the privacy I wasn't even sure I wanted.

---------------------------------------

I had never in my life been so grateful for Fork's rainy weather. Even though the sky was as clouded as it could get, the small amount of light that managed to seep through hurt my eyes. Edward handed me a pair of very expensive looking shades.

"Here, they're Alice's. Keep them on indoors too, the fluorescent light will hurt worse than the sun." I gratefully accepted the sunglasses and got out of the car. Edward was by my side in a second, guiding me towards our classroom.

He was right about the lights, they were hell. He pushed me down gently into my seat and took the one next to mine. I rested my head over my folded arms and moaned softly.

"Stay right here, I'm going to go find you an aspirin." He walked out the door and left me there to suffer.

"Hi Bella!" Mike's voice was too loud and way too cheerful for me right then.

"Hi Mike." I mumbled.

"You don't look so hot. Are you okay?" He sounded genuinely concerned, which is why I made the mistake of looking up.

"Not really..." But he wasn't listening anymore. He was staring at the sunglasses.

"Wow, nice shades!" He reached out and took them right off my face. The white light hit me like lightning.

"Oh Mike! Give those back!" I moaned and covered my eyes with my hands.

"Hi Mike! Hi Bella! What's going on?" Jess approached us quickly. Her voice was even more annoying than his.

"Look at Bella's sunglasses. Cool eh?" Mike showed them off proudly.

"Mike, they are just sunglasses. Please give them back." I still couldn't look up.

"Wow, great knockoff! They look just like the real thing Bella! Where did you get these?" Jessica smiled appreciatively.

"Those are original and they belong to my sister. Please give them back to Bella, Newton."

I hadn't even looked at the glasses closely, but something told me they were worth more than my car. Both human teenagers blushed deeply. I was way too hungover to blush, so I just slipped the glasses back on and watched as Mike and Jess left to find their seats.

"Here sweetheart. Take this." He handed me an aspirin the size of a suppository.

"What exactly do you want me to do with it?" I raised my eyebrows.

"Swallow it, of course. It is just aspirin, Bella."

The pill was too big and too wide for me to even consider it. "I can't. I have a really hard time swallowing pills. Besides, this isn't a pill, it's a baseball!"

Edward handed me a bottle of water and sighed. "I can help you."

"How? By swallowing it for me?" I shrieked.

He rolled his eyes. "Do you trust me?"

"Of course." I answered immediately.

"Okay then. Lean your head back."

He supported the back of my head with one hand and opened my mouth gently with the other.

"Mr. Cullen. What exactly are you doing to Miss Swan?" The teacher interrupted us.

"She has a terrible migraine. I have to give her this pill and I have to help her get it down her throat. She's in severe pain right now." Edward's voice oozed truth. The teacher could do nothing except nod and allow him to continue.

He held my head back and took the pill between his thumb and index fingers. He gently lowered the aspirin into my mouth but didn't drop it.

"Bella, try to relax your throat okay?" I nodded. He massaged my neck and breathed very close to me to keep me calm. Then, he placed the pill at the very back of my throat and gave me a sip of water. It went down easily.

"There you go!" He continued to massage my throat gently. "You'll feel better in no time."

I concentrated on his cool fingers touching my neck lovingly and sighed. "I already do."

---------------------------------------

I sat during our global studies class, still nursing the mother of all hangovers, and tried hard not to look nervous.

When the teacher handed out the tests I groaned. I had not paid even an ounce of attention the whole semester. I mean really, with Edward sitting a foot away, who would?

I stared down hopelessly at the sheet of paper and tried to come up with answers that weren't too far fetched but I was having a hard time reading the questions. I tried to focus my eyes on the first one with little success.

I felt a light breeze coming from Edward's direction and looked up. He was smiling at me. I smiled back, looked down at my paper and gasped.

The test was completely answered and in my handwriting! In the bottom right corner of the page Edward had scribbled a note.

"This is a one time thing. For your next test you will have to study! I just love you too much to sit here and watch that confused look on your face. And if you're wondering how I got so good at imitating your handwriting, know that I study _everything_ you do. Love, E."

I smiled gratefully at him and erased the little message quickly. Then I just had to wait half an hour for the class to be over. I propped my head on my folded arms and stared at my beautiful boyfriend.

"What?" He mouthed.

"I love you." I mouthed back.

He gave me a very cocky smile, "I know."

-------------------------------------

That afternoon, Alice forced me into a spa once again. I declined her invitation politely the first time she asked, but she refused to get no for an answer.

Edward drove quietly, his hand holding mine all the way. I was surprised when he announced he wanted to tag along. He was probably still a bit nervous about leaving me alone with Alice.

"Hum, Alice? What are we going to do here?" I asked when we arrived.

"You're getting waxed!" She announced cheerfully.

I stared at her, my mouth wide open. "Drive us back home please." I didn't even bother with a reply for my over excited sister-to-be.

"No Bella wait! Do you want to spend the rest of eternity as a hairy beauty or as a well waxed one?"

My face turned tomato red instantly. Edward looked away to lessen my discomfort, but squeezed my hand supportively.

"Come on Bella! Just think, this is the only time you're going to have to do it... ever! You'll thank me later!" Alice dragged me out of the car.

Even though I was still against it, a part of me knew she was right, so I dragged my feet but made no other comment.

"This whole "getting me ready to die" thing is making me uncomfortable." I mumbled. Edward heard me, of course, and rubbed my back gently. "Bella, if you're having second thoughts we can push things back until you feel ready..."

"I'm not having second thoughts, Edward. I said it's making me uncomfortable. In the last week I've been intoxicated, stuffed, pulled poked and prodded like never before. Now I'm not complaining! I'm just saying I'll be glad when it's over."

"You'll rest when you're dead, Bella. For now, let's go!" Alice pulled me into a room and closed the door behind her. Edward stood on the other side of the door and whispered a "Be safe!" just as Alice pushed me behind a screen and handed me a red silk robe.

I changed slowly, dreading the inevitable. I laid down where Alice indicated me to and waited nervously while a lady heated up the yellow wax.

"So Bella, now that you're..." Alice stared pointedly at the white dressed lady, "having a new birthday, have you thought about how you want _it_ to happen?"

I frowned "You mean the birthday?"

"No."

"The wedding?"

"Not exactly."

"Oh." I concentrated hard on deciphering her mischievous look. Realization came fast enough. "Oh!" I exclaimed. Heat rushed to my cheeks, making me look the same color as the robe I was wearing.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to embarrass you. I'm just trying to make conversation." Alice explained apologetically.

"No, it's okay. To tell you the truth, I haven't given it much thought. Right now I'm just trying to get through my... birthday."

"Oh, well I just figured since you two have been together for a few months now, and you're engaged and everything... I thought it might've come up."

"Just that once when he explained things to me and told me we'd have to wait."

I had to keep reminding myself that there was a woman in the room with us. It was hard talking about our lives in code.

"To tell you the truth," I confessed, "that's one event I don't want to plan. It'll happen when it happens, when the time is right."

Alice smiled. "But you've waited this long, don't you want it to be special?"

"It will be special, no matter how or when it happens." She was grinning now, it looked like I'd just given her the answer she'd been hoping for.

"I know exactly what you mean."

"Was Jasper your first?"

"As far as I know, yes."

"Oh. And did it take you guys long to..."

"It was different for us, Bella. I knew I was in love with him long before I met him in person, and he knew _that_ the second he saw me. We "ran into each other" when he was leaving a motel, freshly showered and wearing a black, button down shirt and black pants. He was carrying an old copy of War and Peace. "

She was lost in her story, and I gladly listened. "We met at the bottom of the stairs, the sun had just gone down. I walked up to him and said, "You are the love of my life. Can you feel it?" He stared at me for what seemed like ages before answering, "Yes, I can." We spent the rest of the night talking, about ourselves, our lives, about what I'd seen for us and what we wanted. It happened that same night, but we were already very much in love. We knew it was forever."

I'd gotten so caught up in Alice's memories that I hadn't even noticed the hot, sticky paste that the lady had been spreading on my legs. I did, however, notice when she pulled it off.

"Ouch!" I sat up and grabbed my marred leg.

"Bella?" Edward's alarmed voice sounded right outside the door.

"Don't you dare come in here Edward Cullen!" Alice threatened. I could hear his heavy sigh, indicating he was trying to calm down. "Bella, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I'm being tortured, but I'm fine."

"Brace yourself honey, here comes the other leg!" The lady smiled cheerfully. I groaned and laid my head back.

--------------------------------------

I walked into the house with a pained look on my face and my legs spread wide as if I'd been riding a horse for hours.

Rosalie, who was watching TV on the living room couch, glanced at me briefly from the corner of her eye and chuckled. "You could've just shaved, you know?" I would've been surprise by her acknowledgment of my presence had she not sounded so smug.

I turned towards Alice, my eyes wide. "I could've shaved?"

"It's not the same!" She defended herself.

"It's exactly the same." Rosalie hadn't turned her eyes away from the television again.

"Well maybe. But you'd never gotten a wax before!" Alice smiled apologetically.

I was about to reply when Edward wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me to him. "Let's get you home, Bella. It's getting late, I don't want Charlie to worry."

I mumbled a fine and mentioned to Alice while Edward carried me out the door. "I know you want me to try new things, but could we please stay away from the painful ones?"

I heard Alice chuckle just before Edward closed the door behind us. "I'll try!"

----------------------------------

Charlie and I were enjoying a quiet dinner of meat loaf and peas when the topic came up.

"So Bells, you're going on that trip with Edward?" His voice sounded strained. It took him a lot of effort to try to sound cool with it. He failed miserably.

"Yeah. We're leaving on Saturday morning." I shoved a forkful of peas into my mouth and chewed slowly.

"And when are you coming back?"

"I don't know, but way before school starts again."

"And you're moving out the day after tomorrow or until you get back?"

"I'll probably just take all my clothes with me on Saturday, but that's all I'm taking." I crammed a huge piece of meat into my mouth, trying to put an end to the conversation. My father was relentless, though.

"You don't want to take other things? Like your bed or your computer?"

I shook my head and swallowed as quickly as I could. "We'll buy new things. Besides, I want to leave my room intact."

Charlie sighed. He was silent for so long I thought I was home free.

"Bella, are you sure he's not forcing you into this? If he's making you do things you don't want to do just tell me."

I almost spat my peas all over the kitchen table. Instead I swallowed them all and almost choked to death. It took three big gulps of milk to get them all down. "No dad! He's not forcing me into anything! I'm doing this because we both want to. It's important to us, to me."

Charlie nodded and continued to eat. Without looking at me, he mentioned. "I want you to know your mother and I are no okay with this. We understand it's your choice and we respect your decision, but we think you're making a mistake."

I took a deep breath and sighed. "I know, dad."

"Let the record show, I don't like it."

"Duly noted."

My dad picked up his fork again. I just sat there and left the rest of my dinner untouched.

"Aren't you going to finish that, Bells?" He frowned.

"Erm, no. May I be excused? I think I have a pea lodged in the back of my throat."

Charlie gave me a half smile. "Of course, honey."

I went to the sink to wash my dishes but he stopped me. "You look tired, Bella. Why don't you go to bed and let me clean the kitchen?"

I smiled gratefully at him, thanked him and escaped to my room. Edward was waiting for me on my bed.

"Intense." He commented as soon as I stepped through the door.

"Tell me about it." I mumbled. I looked around for my pajamas and found them folded on top of my bed. Edward smiled and handed them to me.

"Come join me." He made room for me and patted the space beside him.

"Erm, can I have a human minute first? I'm all sticky from the wax." I couldn't help the blush that turned my cheeks crimson when I talked about our hairy afternoon.

Edward smiled, clearly delighted by my embarrassment, and in a flash got up from the bed to cup my face with his long hands.

"Take as many as you want." He gave me one chaste kiss before returning to his statuesque position on my bed.

I washed my teeth quickly, but it took forever to get all the remaining wax off my legs. By the time I'd gotten rid of most of it, my skin was red and itchy from my furious scrubbing.

My face must've reflected my pain, because as soon as I walked back into my room, Edward flew to me, lifted me off the floor and laid me back on the bed.

"Bella? What's wrong?"

I rolled my pajama bottoms up to my knees and showed him my legs. "The wax really sticks." I mumbled.

"Oh, Bella." He ran his cold hands gently up and down my legs. "I'm going to kill Alice." He growled.

"She just wants me to try everything." I rolled my eyes. "Not unlike you, I might add."

"And on that note." He reached into his coat pocket and handed me a chocolate bar.

I groaned and covered my face with my hands. "You've got to be kidding me. If I eat one more Butterfinger, chocolate is going to start flowing out of my ears. If you don't stop feeding me like this, I'm going to end up a very heavy vampire."

Edward rolled his eyes. "You won't be able to eat anything during your transformation. Just think of this as making reserves. Besides, girls nowadays are too skinny." My 104-year-old boyfriend, ladies and gentlemen.

"Fine." I took the candy bar from him and chewed on it slowly. My head was resting on the pillow and I stared at the ceiling while I ate.

Edward knelt down on the foot of the bed and rolled my pants up once more to look at my irritated legs. He took my left ankle in his hands, lifted up my leg and kissed the inside of my calf gently. His cold lips made me shiver.

"You, ahem, you're going to kiss that and make it better?" I pointed at my legs. I was trying to be a little flirty, I admit, but I didn't have high hopes for my attempt. I felt ridiculous for even trying.

He did smile, but not in a mocking way. He kissed the inside of my knee and my whole body shook under his lips. Even though he was touching my skin with his very cold hands to soothe it, every inch he touched burned up under his fingertips.

He dropped my legs softly and climbed up to cover my body with his own. He took the long forgotten chocolate that I'd dropped on my pillow and placed it on the nightstand. With one hand on my waist and the other one being used to support his weight, he leaned down and ran a line with his lips from my forehead to my collarbone and back up. He lingered, mere inches away from my own lips, and waited for me to do something about it.

I wrapped my hands around his neck and carefully, so he'd know I was still in control of myself, I pulled him to me. We shared a soft, romantic kiss for a few seconds before he broke it off.

Edward sighed, rolled off me and pulled me on top of him. I rested my head against his stone-hard chest and sighed in content. In a movement too fast for me to catch, he unlocked the chain around my neck and pulled the ring out.

I gave him my left hand so he could put the engagement ring on my finger. We both stared at it, mesmerized.

"In a few days I'll be able to wear it a bit more often." I commented.

"In a few days we'll have a lot more time to admire it. Right now you need your sleep."

"In a few days we're going to be spending a lot less time in bed." I sighed. I was really going to miss our pre-bedtime chats.

"Or a lot more, just not asleep." Edward winked at me and I laughed quietly.

We laid there, silently, for a few moments before something occurred to me.

"Oh my God!" I rolled off him and sat up.

Edward turned on his side to look at me. "What? Was my comment inappropriate? Because I didn't mean anything by it..."

"No, no. It's just that... Charlie must think we're having sex!"

He smiled in a teasing manner "You mean right now?"

"No, just in general. I mean, think about it! We're moving in together the day after tomorrow! Who moves in with someone without having had sex with that person first? Other than roommates of course." I rambled.

Edward let out a quiet laugh. "Well, think about it this way. If it weren't for my... condition, we probably would have an active sex life."

I blushed deeply just thinking about it. "Would we?"

"Bella, we can hardly keep our hands off each other as it is!" Even though I was incredibly embarrassed by the conversation, I managed to joke. "Oh, aren't you the confident one?"

Edward wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me close. "Hey! You were the one who brought the subject up the first time. And during our second date, if I remember correctly."

I gasped. "I was just asking a question!"

"Which means a part of you wanted me that way!"

I rolled on my side. I was blushing so much I was sure he could feel the shift in my body temperature.

"Don't you?" He asked.

"Don't I what?"

"Want me that way?" He tried to make it sound as if he were joking, as if he already knew the answer. But underneath all that cockiness, I detected some real uncertainty.

I turned back around to face him and placed my warm hand on his cheek. "Of course I do. I love you. I'm engaged to you! Heck, I can hardly kiss you without attacking you! That means I do want to have that with you someday."

His cocky smiled returned. "At least you won't be able to pass out on me when it happens."

"Do not underestimate you bedazzling capabilities."

"Oh, I _will_ bedazzle you, you just won't pass out from lack of oxygen."

"Smart-ass" I giggled.

"You know you love me."

I rolled myself back on top of him and smiled. "Yeah, I do."

----------------------------------------

I woke up on Friday, the last day of school that I would ever have as a human, and found Edward staring at me intently.

My good morning came out more like a grunt, which made him laugh. I cleared my throat and tried again. "Good morning."

He caressed my exposed neck with his fingertips and whispered. "Yes, it is."

I frowned at his strange comment. He sighed before explaining. "You look so beautiful when you wake up. When you open your eyes and squint at the light coming through your window. When you rub your eyes with the back of your hands and yawn... you look so stunning, so profoundly perfect."

I smiled gently. "I'll try to look drowsy and disoriented every once in a while after you change me, I promise."

He laughed and kissed my lips. "Come on, you don't want to be late for your last day of school, do you?"

"No, I guess not." I grumpily got out of bed and went to the bathroom to change.

Edward drove us to school after a breakfast that consisted of an omelet, strawberries, orange juice, toast, pancakes, milk and bacon. During classes I tried to pay special attention to little details, like the people around me and the decorations in the room. I wanted to see everything, really see, one last time before the change. I was curious to know if I'd perceive things differently.

Jessica passed me a note during third period. I opened it gingerly, not knowing what to expect. It simply said that the girls were going to Port Angeles that afternoon to look for dresses for the dance on Saturday and they wanted to know if I'd like to join them.

The bell rang before I could send the note back and she hurried over to where I was standing to ask me in person.

"So, can you come? We had a good time the last time, didn't we?" She asked eagerly.

"Erm, sure! We did have a nice time. Only I don't know if today..."

"You should go, Bella." Edward placed his hand on the small of my back protectively.

I blinked in disbelief. "I should?" I'd thought he would've wanted to spend that afternoon with me.

"Sure. It sounds like fun! Besides, I have some errands to run today. We can see each other tonight." I couldn't believe he was letting me go!

Jessica looked giddy. I was still tempted to say no, until I saw Angela's face. She was standing right behind her short friend with a pleading look in her eyes.

"Erm... okay.

"Good! We're leaving after school. I'll see you in the parking lot later!" Jess took her books and walked out of the classroom. Angela just smiled at me gratefully.

"Thank you. They've been talking about a makeover for me. Lauren has been chatting non-stop about highlights and low cut dresses. Maybe you can help me talk some sense into them."

I knew how pushy Lauren could be, so I was glad I'd agreed to go. We walked together to the cafeteria, even though as soon as she noticed Edward's presence, Angela became as quiet as a mouse. She waved goodbye to us and went to sit at her table.

"What are you doing this afternoon?" I asked Edward as soon as we were seated.

"Well, Alice says it won't rain tonight or tomorrow, so I'm going to the meadow to get things ready." He didn't look like he wanted me to ask any more questions, so I concentrated hard on my gourmet lunch and decided to let him surprise me.

--------------------------

I started dreading my afternoon without Edward as soon as the final bell rang. He walked me over to Jessica's car, whispering all the way. "You better be careful, Bella. Please watch your step and stay clear of anything that might fall on your head. Stay on the sidewalks and cross the streets very carefully. If you use the escalators, tie your shoelaces first."

The warnings became more and more bizarre as we approached the girls. I finally stopped him when he asked me to check for puddles in the bathroom. "Edward, I'll be okay. I promise I won't go anywhere alone and I swear I'll be very careful." I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him. He stood very still for a moment before his arms lifted me up a few inches in a crushing embrace.

"I should send Alice with you." He mumbled.

"Edward, I will be alright. I'll be back soon."

"I don't want anything to happen to you. If I can keep you alive for the next four days, we're home free! But you going away from me for a whole day is making me uneasy."

"You were the one who wanted me to go!" I reminded him.

He buried his nose in my hair and inhaled deeply, committing my scent to memory. Then he placed me on the ground gently. "Come back to me in one piece."

"I'll try." I gave him a quick kiss and turned around to join the girls. His hand on my arm stopped me. "What?" I smiled. He reached into his back pocket and handed me his credit card.

I stared down at the platinum card in my hand. "What's this for?" I asked, confused.

"Well, if I remember correctly, you wanted your transformation to be an elegant affair. I want you to buy yourself a dress."

I rolled my eyes and tried to give him back the card. "Don't be ridiculous, Edward."

He shook his head and threw his hands up in the air. "You have two choices here, beautiful. You can either find a dress that you like and want to wear that day, or you can wear whatever Alice buys for you. Make no mistake, her choice will be a thousand times more uncomfortable than anything you get."

I made a face. "Well, I think it'll be too uncomfortable for me to wear a dress for three days while I toss and turn in pain, don't you?"

Edward's expression became instantly serious and, with great regret in his voice, he whispered, "Bella, you'll be in too much pain to even notice what you're wearing."

I sighed and placed my hand on his grieving face. "Fine, I'll get a dress, but I'll pay for it myself."

He shook his head, a hint of a smile appearing on his lips. "You need to wrap your head around the fact that this is our money, not mine, but ours. And there is a lot of it and we are never going to run out. Even if we did, we don't need money to survive, it means noting to us. Just enjoy the nice things that money _can_ buy."

I frowned. "I still don't like it."

"Please." Edward closed my hand around the plastic card and threw the whole power of his gaze at me, "for me."

I gulped and nodded. There was nothing I could deny him when he looked at me like that. He gave me a lopsided grin that made my heart jump and whispered, "You better get going. The kids are waiting."

The three girls standing by Jessica's car stared at us. Angela had a soft smile on her face, she looked happy for us. Jess's smile was different. She looked like she wanted me to spill some dirty secrets to her later. Lauren seemed impatient and more than a little jealous.

I nodded at Edward and turned around to leave, but his hand stopped me once again. "Hey!" I glanced back at him. "I love you."

I smiled. "I love you too."

He pulled me in for a quick kiss before finally letting me go.

--------------------------------

The girls had seen the credit card when Edward handed it to me and they ogled it all the way to Port Angeles.

"I can't believe he gave you his credit card!" Jessica shrieked for the thousandth time.

"We're going to a wedding with his family soon and he wants to pay for my dress, since he feels like he's forcing me to go." I lied easily.

"What's your spending limit?" Lauren asked without glancing in my direction.

"Humm... I guess I don't have one. Actually, he probably wants me to get something really nice, but I hate spending his money." I answered sincerely with a little bit more information than necessary simply to bug Lauren. She'd been making snappy remarks the whole ride and I was getting a little tired of her.

"That makes sense. He's worried about what his family will think of you." I had not seen that one backfiring.

"Nah, he doesn't really care about what I wear. But his sister, Alice, is obsessed with buying me expensive clothes! So if I don't get something nice, she'll just go out and buy me something different."

"I've never seen you in that kind of clothes at school." She smirked.

"You should see what she makes me put on under my raincoat."

Lauren didn't reply, instead she changed the subject to Angela's hair, which sucked for her but I was glad to have Lauren off my back.

When we got to the store I started feeling bad about my comments, so I asked the girls to help me find a cute, but not very expensive, dress.

The choices, however, were very limited. I talked Jessica into a long blue dress with a matching coat. Angela decided, much to Lauren's dismay, to wear the same pink dress she'd gotten last time since she couldn't use the shoes with anything else. Lauren bought a short black number that I was sure she was going to freeze in.

I, however, found nothing. Everything was too big or too tight, too low or too puffy. Of course I only had like six choices so I shouldn't have been surprised.

I plopped down on the floor, still wearing the pale pink dress that resembled a tutu and sighed. "Is there anywhere else we can go?"

"Well, there is another store a few blocks down that we could try. They sell all kinds of clothes there, but the dresses are kind of expensive." Jessica shrugged.

"Well we can go and try things on just for kicks!" Angela suggested. "You know, like when we were younger?"

I hesitated. I didn't want to spend too much money. Plus I really wanted to get home to Edward.

"Come on, Bella. You might find something nice on sale!" Angela pleaded.

"Well, I'm game." I finally agreed.

"Let's go!"

------------------------------

The store was way too cool for Port Angeles, if you ask me. Trendy clothes, shoes and accessories adorned every inch of the brightly lit establishment. Colorful posters and funky furniture surrounded the part where the dresses were located.

Angela helped me pick out a few while the other girls strolled over to a shelf full of screened t-shirts.

We somehow managed to find five garments that looked like they might fit me and weren't too expensive. I went to try them on by myself.

The changing rooms had no doors, only shiny blue curtains that overflowed into the bright, pink carpet. I went behind curtain number two and stripped down to my underwear.

The first dress was way too puffy. The second one itched. The third one was green and it contrasted horribly with my skin. The fourth one made me look like a popcorn. I was pulling up the straps of the very last dress, light pink and backless, when I heard the curtain slide open.

In the moments that followed I thought about two possibilities. It could either be Angela with more dresses, or Edward and his overprotective tendency to follow me everywhere. I was rooting for the second one.

I heard the embarrassed gasp before I even turned around, but once I did, I found myself face to face with Jacob Black.

"Oh my god!" I clutched the dress to my chest, grateful that I'd pulled it on before he walked in.

Jacob swore, stumbled backwards and fell over a rail of unwanted clothes. The rail fell on his head with a dull thud.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I thought this was the men's... oh I'm sorry." He rubbed the back of his head, which I could barely see under all the clothes that had fallen on him.

"It's okay Jacob, they're coed." I knelt down next to him.

He removed a halter-top size 15 from the top of his head and looked up at me. "Bella?" He turned so red his face matched the satin skirt he'd somehow managed to tangle himself up in.

"Hi there. Nice fall." I stood up and offered him a hand. He took it gratefully.

"I'm so sorry I barged in like that... the lady said the second stall was empty and I didn't even think about checking..."

"It's okay. I was fully clothed, no harm done." I squeezed his shoulder and he blushed all over again.

"Hey, you look really nice! Are you getting that for the dance?"

In all the commotion, I'd forgotten to look at myself in a mirror. I turned to face the full length one by the door and grinned. The dress fit perfectly. It had a low back and a high, square front. The straps were thick. The top hugged my non-existing curves nicely. It flared out right below the waist, reaching all the way down to my toes. The light pink fabric was really soft. All in all, the dress was surprisingly comfortable.

"No, I'm getting it for something else. What are you doing here anyway?"

"I'm buying a new shirt for the big day."

I frowned. "The big day?"

"Yeah, tomorrow."

My frown deepened. It wasn't the first time Jacob's comments had made me feel uncomfortable. Flashes of the Halloween dance and his teasing but insightful chitchat about vampires flooded me with uncertainty. "Hum... tomorrow?"

"Yeah! The dance. My white shirt has a huge grease stain on it, so I can't wear it anymore."

I took a deep breath. Relax, _Bella. You're being paranoid._ I told myself. I turned away from Jacob so he wouldn't sense my discomfort and made a big deal out of checking the dress I was wearing for any imperfections. But when I caught my reflection in the mirror again, all my worries faded away. I found myself thinking only one thing. That was the dress I'd be wearing the day I died.

------------------------------

I was unusually quiet during the ride home. Jessica and Lauren were chatting loudly and singing along to the radio. I just rested my head against the cool window and sighed. That was probably the last time I'd be able to hang out with friends who weren't part of my family. But I wasn't sad. I was confused. Confused because I didn't feel bad or weird about it. I wanted nothing more than to go home and spend some time in Edward's arms, maybe even show Alice my new dress. But wasn't I supposed to want more friends? Wasn't I supposed to feel sad about leaving everything behind?

Angela interrupted my thoughts. "Bella? Are you okay? You've barely said a word since we left the store!" Leave it to Angela to be perceptive.

"I'm fine, I'm just tired and really glad school is over."

"Hey you know what? A bunch of us are going camping next week, you should come!"

The lie that I told next came out as a reflex. I'd been repeating it to my parents for so long I blurted it out without thinking. "I can't, I'm going on a cruise with Edward."

"What?" Jessica turned around completely to stare at me, a difficult task since I was sitting right behind her.

"Jessica, look out!" Lauren's warning came too late. Jess tried to avoid the huge branch in the middle of the road but she couldn't, not completely. The back tire on the left side smashed against the wood. We heard a loud snap and the car swerved out of control. Everyone screamed. Jessica hit the breaks just as the car went off the road. I got thrown sideways and slammed my head painfully against the window.

Then, it was over. The four of us sat there, unmoving and breathing heavily, for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, Angela unbuckled her seatbelt and asked urgently.

"Is everyone alright?"

We all grumbled affirmative answers. My head hurt terribly, and I could smell the coppery scent of the few drops of blood that were oozing out of a small cut on my forehead. I wiped the wetness with the back of my hand and got out of the car quickly to get some fresh air.

The rest of the girls followed me gingerly. Jessica and Lauren tried to use their cell phones, but couldn't get a signal. I inspected the car and discovered with relief that it seemed relatively unharmed, except for a flat tire.

"Damn it!" Jessica, who was shaking from the shock, threw her cell phone against a tree and buried her face in her hands. "My parents are going to kill me."

"Jess it's okay," I tried to make her feel better.

"No, it's not. It's already dark, we don't have a car, we can't call for help and no one ever uses this road!" Lauren was just as panicked as her friend.

"No, it's fine. It's just a flat tire, I think. Jess, do you have a spare?"

She nodded and wiped away the tears of frustration that had rolled down her cheeks. "In the trunk."

The girls helped me get everything out. I knelt down next to the damaged wheel and took the lug wrench between my cold hands.

"Are you sure you know how to do this?" Angela, who was holding the flashlight, asked.

"In theory. I've seen it done a few times." I tried to loosen the lug nuts, but the sleeve of my jacket got caught between the lug nut and the lug wrench. I groaned and pulled my jacket up, past my elbows.

I got one of the lug nuts unscrewed, but my jacket got caught again when I tried the next one. Grumbling, I took my jacket off and threw it over a rock in frustration.

"Hey look! Someone's coming." Lauren pointed at a car, slowly driving up the road.

My heart swelled with hope for a moment. I was hoping for my knight in shining armor, of course, but instead, the person who got off the car was none other than Jacob Black.

"Hey, you guys need some help?" He asked Lauren and Jessica.

"Actually, yes. Your vehicle expertise could come in handy." I was still kneeling in front of the tire, so he hadn't seen me.

"Bella?" He stared at me, clearly startled.

"We seem to be running into each other a lot today." I smiled at him from my crouched position.

"No kidding. Let me take a look." He took the jack from Angela and joined me.

He whistled softly. "This is bad."

"The tire?"

"Yes and no. Yes because you can't really replace a flat tire with one just as flat." He pointed at the spare we'd leaned against the car. It was as flat as a pancake.

"How did I not notice that before?" I blushed scarlet. Way to go, Bella.

"I have one in my car that'll fit, but the tire is the least of your problems. It seems to me like your car and that tree got into a nasty fight. I'm sorry to say, the tree won."

I was just about to ask him to explain when Jessica spoke. "Hey! Someone else is coming."

I looked up. The headlights were approaching us at an unbelievable speed. I stood up, knowing full well who'd be getting out of that car.

He jumped out before the Volvo had completely stopped.

"Bella?" I could tell how much effort it cost him to run to me at a human speed.

"Edward." My chest fluttered with relief. As soon as I saw him I felt safe and calm once again.

When he reached me, he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me in for a fierce hug. "Oh god, Bella are you okay? God, oh god I was so scared. I never should've let you go alone." He mumbled against my hair.

"I'm fine. It looks worse than it is."

He held me away from him, his hands framing my face. "You're bleeding."

I noticed he'd stopped breathing. I could tell he was having a hard time with my open wound because of the way his eyes seemed to jump from hungry and desperate to remorseful. I shivered under his gaze.

"Look at you. You're freezing!" He took of his coat and slipped it on me in one fluid movement. I was about to tell him that I had a jacket around there somewhere when I caught a whiff of his coat. Edward's wonderful, mouth watering scent surrounded me completely, so I kept my mouth shut.

He was still struggling with himself. He pulled me to him again and closed his eyes.

"Are you okay?" I whispered against his chest.

"Give me a moment."

After a few seconds he pushed me back gently and tore a piece of his shirt off. My eyes widened in surprise.

"The cut is not deep. In fact, it's stopped bleeding." He held the piece of his shirt up to my mouth. "Lick, please."

"Excuse me?" I frowned.

"Lick this so I can clean the blood off."

"That's disgusting." I wrinkled my nose. "Can't you lick it?"

"No." He stared at me pointedly. "Please, Bella. Just do it."

I understood then. It had taken me way too long to do so. Maybe I'd hit my head harder than I'd originally thought.

I used my saliva to wet the fabric and then tried to take it from Edward's hand. "Here, let me do it."

"No, it's okay." He lifted my chin with one hand and cleaned my forehead with the other. "I want to do this. It's good practice for tomorrow anyway." I smiled up at him. He lowered his hand, the one cleaning my skin, and gazed into my eyes.

"Alice told me. I was so scared." He whispered.

"I know, but I'm okay. We just bounced around a little."

He framed my face with his hands and pulled me in for a hard, passionate kiss. He pressed his lips against mine harder than he ever had. His hands trembled against my skin and I finally realized just how worried he'd been. His breath comforted me like nothing else could, and my heart pounded like it always did when he was around.

"Hum, guys? I hate to interrupt, but can the car be fixed?" Jessica blushed profusely when she asked.

"Nope." Jacob wiped his grease-covered hands on a rag and stood up. Edward seemed momentarily startled to see him there, but he recovered quickly.

Jacob proceeded to tell us exactly why the car needed to be towed. I, of course, understood none of it, but Edward seemed to agree with him.

"Jacob, are you going into town?" Edward asked. Jacob flinched a little. Edward's deep voice had somehow sounded incredibly harsh.

"Well, I wasn't planning to, but I could..."

"No, don't bother. I'll take the girls home." Edward threw the tire and tools carelessly into Jessica's trunk and turned to my three nervous-looking friends.

"Come on. We can call someone from the road."

"Bye Bella!" Jacob waved enthusiastically.

"Bye." I got into the car and Edward closed the door behind me. The girls got in quietly.

Edward started the car. I placed my hand on top of his before he could switch to first gear. "Can I ask you a favor?"

"Anything." Edward's stare was still hard. He was angry, just not with me.

"Can you drive under the speed limit? We're all pretty shaken up."

He gave me a look in protest. "I'll drive slower than usual, but not that slow. I want to get you home as soon as possible."

"We'll get there soon enough." I pleaded, but he just shook his head. "I want Carlisle to take a look at you."

I felt all warm inside when he expressed his concern like that, but he was making too big a deal out of the incident.

"You _know_ I'm okay." _You've been through med school twice_ I wanted to say.

"Can you please just let my father examine you?" He stared pointedly at me, reminding me of our audience in the back seat.

"Fine. Just drive slow."

"Yes ma'am."

------------------------------

Once we dropped everyone off, he turned the car around to drive to his house.

"Hum, Edward? I think I want to go to Charlie's."

"You promised you'd let Carlisle check you over." He reminded me without taking his eyes off the road.

"I know but I'm not even bleeding anymore."

"You could have internal wounds."

"From that? Edward, it wasn't that bad!"

He finally turned to face me. His hand caressed my cheek tenderly. "I can never be too careful with you."

"Well, can't you check me over? You've gone to med school."

He sighed in defeat. "Fine, but if I find anything suspicious I'm taking you to Carlisle."

I agreed quickly, glad I'd won that one. It wasn't that I didn't want his paternal figure to look at me. I just wanted to have dinner with my father one last time.

We parked in front of the quiet house. "I'll go upstairs after dinner. You can do all the prodding you want then."

"Oh no, no, no. You go in, explain to your father that you had some car trouble, then go upstairs to take a shower. I'll be waiting in the bathroom."

"Edward..."

"No, it's either that or I drive us home right now."

It did not escape me, the way he wanted us to go home, to _his_ house.

"Fine." I knew he meant it, so I saw no point in arguing. He kissed me softly and sent me on my way.

The door was unlocked, but I walked in noisily to make my presence known.

"Bella? Is that you?"

"Yes dad." I walked into the kitchen where he stood, drinking a glass of soda. His eyes widened and the glass slipped from his hands when he saw me.

"Oh my God, Bella! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, dad." He rushed over to me and reached out as if to touch my face, but thought better of it and leaned back uncomfortably.

"What happened?"

"A flat tire, driving back from Port Angeles. I just bumped my head, that's all."

"You bumped your head? Were you wearing a seatbelt?"

"Yes dad." Why had he acted so surprised when I told him about the head injury? I leaned down to check my reflection in the oven door and gasped. I was completely covered in mud, my hair had twigs tangled in it, I was wearing Edward's jacket, which looked huge on me and, to top it all off, I realized I'd left my own raincoat in the middle of nowhere.

"Oh, well we tried to change the tire ourselves. Lucky for us, Jacob and Edward drove by."

"Why don't you go clean up? We can talk about this over dinner. I'll heat up some leftovers for us."

I smiled at him gratefully and rushed up the stairs. My feet hadn't even touched the last step when Edward's strong arms were already sweeping me up.

"What took you so long? I was about to go down there and get you myself."

He sat me down by the sink and removed my shoes and socks before I could protest.

"Well, I look worse than I originally thought. Of course Charlie had questions."

"Of course." Edward mumbled. "Raise your arms."

"Excuse me?" I frowned.

"Raise your arms please." I reluctantly did as I was told. To my surprise, it hurt.

Edward lifted up my shirt. My arms shot out to stop him without thinking.

"Bella," he sighed, "I need to look at your ribs. Can you please cooperate? Or if it makes you too uncomfortable I can go get..."

"No, it's fine. It was a reflex" Edward nodded and took a hold of my shirt again. I could've taken it off myself, but the effort did hurt a little.

His cold fingers grazed the tender skin of my abdomen, making me shiver. He removed the piece of clothing gently, with great care.

Once he'd freed me from the clothes, he flinched visibly.

I looked down at myself, trying not to blush too hard considering I was wearing only a plain, white bra. A big, purple bruise was already starting to form where the seatbelt had been.

"Bella, I'm going to have to touch you." His warm voice washed calm over me. I nodded and closed my eyes.

He ran his fingers over the bruise. That felt nice, until he pressed down. I stiffened a moan. His breath caught in his throat. "I'm sorry, Bella. I'm so sorry." He kept apologizing while his hands checked me over.

Finally, he exhaled exhaustedly, not from physical exertion, of course, but from emotional distress. "Nothing's broken." He announced triumphantly.

"Would it have mattered?"

"What?"

I tucked my hair behind my ear. "If something had been broken? It's all going to be over tomorrow anyway."

Edward turned around and started filling the tub. "I don't think you're fully aware of what's going to happen tomorrow."

"What makes you say that?"

"You're too calm. I don't think it's sunk in yet."

I didn't reply because I knew he was probably right. Once the tub was full of hot, bubbly water, he asked; "Would you like me to leave?"

"No, you can stay. Just turn around while I get in." He did so, respectfully.

I allowed the hot water to cover and relax me. I leaned my head back and closed my eyes. After a moment, Edward started cleaning my face with a wet cloth.

"Bella?"

"Hmm?"

"We need to talk."

I opened my eyes wearily. "About what?"

"About what's going to happen, about how we're going to handle it. But not right now. Your father is coming up the stairs." He placed a cold finger on my lips to silence my reply.

"Bella? Are you okay in there?" Charlie knocked twice.

"I'm fine, dad."

"Good. Just checking. Hurry up, dinner is getting cold."

I took a deep breath and submerged myself in the bubbles. It was time to say goodbye to my father.

--------------------------------

"Dad?"

"Yes, Bells?" He picked up another slice of pizza and dropped it on his plate. The leftovers had not been good enough, apparently.

"I'm leaving tomorrow morning." He nodded. "Do you know where your passport is?"

"Yes. I have it all ready."

"Have you packed?"

"Erm... Not exactly."

"Do you want any help?"

"No, I can do it."

He nodded again before devouring half a slice in one bite. "I want you to know, Bella." He interrupted the silence, "that you can always come back home. Your room will be here, in case you ever want it back."

"Thanks dad." I felt deeply touched by his support.

"Shouldn't you go pack or something?" He tried to lighten the mood.

"Yeah." I rinsed my plate and turned around to leave, but something stopped me.

"Dad?"

"Yes, Bella?"

"I love you."

His face softened visibly when he turned to me and said. "I love you too, kiddo."

------------------------------

Saying goodbye to my mother was an entirely different thing. Especially since it was done over the phone, while Edward packed my clothes.

My mom gave me all kinds of crazy advice. Somewhere between the "take matches with you to the bathroom" and the "rub some sunscreen behind your ears" she asked me to be careful, extra careful. I could tell she wasn't just talking about my clumsiness, which made me turn tomato red, even more than usual because Edward was listening to every word. She also asked something of me that I would not be able to give. Right before we hung up, she said. "Try to come back in one piece, and _alive_" She'd been joking, of course, but nevertheless I had a hard time saying yes.

Edward was sitting on the foot of the bed when I hung up. "Bella?"

"Yes?"

"Come here for a moment. I need to talk to you."

I frowned, but walked over to him and sat down on his lap anyway. "What is it?"

"There is something that I don't think you've considered yet."

"What?"

He tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear before continuing. "Well, remember all those months ago, when I was explaining how the whole blood lust thing works?"

"Yeah?"

"That night, I told you a very big truth. Everyone falls off the wagon." My frown deepened. "What I mean is, at some point you might slip up, you have to be aware of that fact. You have to live with the idea that you might someday kill someone. Are you aware? Prepared? Can you bear the possibility of someday taking human life?"

The way he said those things made me feel like he'd been carrying that doubt around for a while. To be quite honest, I had not thought about that at all, it hadn't even occurred to me! The sole idea of one day being put in that position terrified me.

I froze on his lap, more scared than I let on, and tried to rationalize the situation. I calmed myself down quickly. If I showed any doubt, he would probably refuse to change me. So instead, I said, "I can kill people while still being human. Just driving a car means I could potentially crush anyone who crosses my path. Accidents happen to humans too."

Edward shook his head and smiled sadly. "You know it's not the same thing."

"Yes, it is." I replied stubbornly.

"Fine, I just wanted you to know that the possibility exists."

He laid down on the bed, with me still on top of him, and kissed me. "You should sleep."

"Can I ask you something first?"

"Of course." He shifted us around so the bed sheets covered us. I rested my cheek on his stone chest.

"When you showed up today to rescue me," He grinned and interrupted, "As always."

"As always." I agreed. "You seemed genuinely surprised to see Jacob there."

"That child bugs me. I hate it when he's that close to you. To be honest, I was a little startled to see him there. No one was thinking about him."

"What do you mean?"

"Well I was desperate to see if you were okay, but the three stupid girls could only think about what their parents were going to say. Eventually, Angela saw you bleeding, which only scared me more. But no one paid much attention to Jacob."

"Couldn't you read his thoughts?"

"Once I realized he was there, sure. I was just too preoccupied with you to pay attention. I was really worried Bella... I felt..."

I sat up and leaned closer to his face. "What?"

"I was so scared, terrified that you were really hurt, that I could lose you." To my complete surprise, he started to shake.

"Edward?"

"I just wanted to give you one last day with your friends, one last afternoon to be human. But it was stupid of me. I should've followed you. We're so close, so close and I could've lost you!"

I hadn't realized before then just how worried he'd been. "Hey, Edward hey!" I straddled his chest and undid the top button of the white shirt that I wore to bed every day. I took his hand and placed it over my racing heart. "I'm okay! I'm alive! I'm right here with you and I am never going to leave you."

He sat up. I readjusted myself to sit on his lap. "Can you promise me that, Bella?"

"I will if you promise the same thing."

He wrapped his arms around me and pressed me close to his chest. "I swear I will never leave you."

"I swear I'll be with you forever." I realized as I spoke, that tears were slowly rolling down my cheeks.

"Who needs wedding vows?" He joked and I laughed quietly.

"Come on. You really should sleep." He laid us down once again.

"Wait, I want to try something new."

"Okay." He frowned.

"If this is going to be the last time I sleep with you." I motioned for him to sit up, which he did with a confused look on his face. I took the hem of his sweater between my hands and pulled it slowly off him. He stared at me in complete awe but didn't protest when I unzipped his slacks.

I was blushing profusely, of course, but still managed to get the pants off with his help. He sat there, on my bed, in all his glorious godlikeness, wearing only his dark blue boxers.

"Could you... hum... close your eyes?" It took me an enormous amount of effort to stop staring at him long enough to ask that. He covered his eyes with one hand and I quickly stripped down to my underwear. I'd worn a sports bra to bed that night, in anticipation for that moment.

I crawled under the covers before letting him know it was okay to look again. I pulled him on top of me slowly, not wanting to make any sudden moves.

"Oh Bella." He whispered against my lips. "I'm not sure this is a good idea."

"I just want to feel your skin against mine." I whispered back.

He kissed me then, gently, passionately and lovingly. I poured my heart and soul into that one kiss. When we broke apart, he rolled on his side next to me and hugged me to his body tightly. My legs intertwined with his. He took a deep breath, taking in my scent, and placed one of his hands on my neck, feeling my strong pulse with his fingertips.

"Hum to me, Edward."

He kissed my forehead tenderly before humming my lullaby.

--------------------------------

I woke up hours before sunrise. Something wasn't right. I sat up and allowed myself a few seconds to adjust to the darkness. I didn't see him at first, sitting still as a stone on my rocking chair, but once my sleep clouded eyes cleared, I was able to see the outline of his body.

I noticed even his shadow looked anguished.

"You're having doubts." It wasn't a question. My statement sounded rough from being the first words to leave my throat in hours. He didn't answer. It was bound to happen. I'd been expecting it all day.

I got out of bed slowly, throwing his shirt over my almost bare body before climbing into his lap. His arms automatically wrapped themselves around my waist. "There is nothing I can say to reassure you that I haven't already said before. This is what I want. It's what we need, Edward."

"I know." He finally answered. "It's just that, as I was watching you sleep for the last time I started wondering if this is really what's best for you."

"You know it is."

"Do I? Think about it, Bella. You'll never eat, drink or sleep again. You'll never blush, you'll never have another human minute."

I rested my head on his chest. After a few minutes of silence, I said, "I've been thinking about all of this myself and I've come to a simple conclusion."

"Oh really? What is that?"

"I don't think I was ever meant to stay human."

I could feel Edward's body tensing up beneath me. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I'm the only mind you can't ready and the only person that can resist Jasper's gift as far as we know. I'm not even sure Alice can really see my future unless it's tied to someone else's."

Edward pulled back to look at my face, confusion written all over him. "Remember the whole James thing? I decided hours before leaving for the airport exactly how I was going to get away from Alice and Jasper. I formed a plan the moment I knew where you'd be arriving and yet, Alice could only see me in the ballet studio, where my decisions combined with James's."

Edward frowned. "Have you noticed anything else?"

I shrugged "Just that I've never formed part of the human world and that I feel much more at ease when I'm surrounded by blood sucking vampires, which I'd consider a huge sign on it's own."

Edward sighed. He lifted me up and crawled back into bed with me. "Sleep, Bella. You'll need your rest for tomorrow."

I tossed the shirt to the ground again and snuggled against him. "I love you." I whispered.

"I exist for you." Edward's reply was the last thing I heard before drifting back to sleep.

-----------------------------

I opened my eyes again when I felt little butterfly kisses on the nape of my neck. I shivered uncontrollably.

"I'm sorry, am I making you uncomfortable?" His deep, enticing voice made me tingle.

"Quite the opposite." I admitted, which encouraged him to continue. He planted kisses down my back and turned me gently on my stomach. He caressed my spine with his fingertips, provoking another wave of shivers.

"I'm going to miss the warmth." He whispered.

I turned on my back to look at him. "Well, think of what you'll be gaining. A girlfriend that doesn't break."

He smiled at me. "It does have its advantages."

I suddenly noticed that he'd pulled the sheets down to my waist, which left my abdomen and sports bra completely exposed to him. I flushed tomato red instantly.

He laughed. "I'm going to miss that too."

"I'm not." I mumbled.

"Hey, the sleeping in undergarments was your idea, remember?"

"It sounded a lot more reasonable when it was pitch black in here."

I looked around for his shirt, but never got a chance to put it on. Out of nowhere, I found myself on my back, with the covers on top of me.

Edward was nowhere to be seen.

"Edwa..."

"Shh, lie down!" His voice came from somewhere unknown. I barely had time to close my eyes before the door swung open.

Charlie walked over to me and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Bella? Sweetie?"

"Yes dad?" I mumbled as if he'd just woken me up.

"I'm leaving for work. I just wanted to say goodbye."

"Oh..." I wanted to get up and say goodbye to him properly, but I was lying there in my underwear!

"Well, goodbye. Take care, Bella. Try not to fall overboard."

I smiled at him. He stood there, uncomfortably, for a few moments before turning around to leave.

"Dad?"

"Yes Bella?"

I raised my arms like a little kid and he willingly sat down on the bed and hugged me without forcing me to sit up. "Goodbye, Dad."

"Goodbye, Bella."

Tears filled my eyes as I watched him walk away.

Once he'd left, I wrapped the bed sheet around my body and got up to look for something to wear. His cold arms around me stopped me in my tracks.

"Hey, are you okay?"

I leaned back against his body and sighed, "I will be."

"Good." He turned me around to face him and slipped the chain off my neck. Gently, he placed the engagement ring on my finger. "Wear it today okay?"

"Okay." I smiled up at him.

I grabbed my toiletries and headed for the bathroom, but Edward stopped me once again.

"Bella?"

"Yes?"

"May I be with you while you get ready today?"

One look at his deep, pleading eyes and he had me convinced. "Sure." I knew it was something he really wanted to do. More than that, it was something that he needed.

He followed me to the bathroom and adjusted the temperature of the shower while I brushed my teeth. Then, he turned away while I undressed and hopped in. Once the curtain was properly drawn, he sat down next to the sink and watched my shadow while I washed my hair.

"Will I lose consciousness?" I asked out of the blue.

"From the pain? No."

It made no sense to me. Didn't people usually faint when they experienced too much pain? Edward answered as if he'd been reading my thoughts. "The venom keeps you awake."

"Why?"

"Fear makes the blood taste sweeter."

I tried to repress my shudder, but I'm sure he caught it. We were silent for the rest of my shower. I wrapped a towel around my body and stepped out. Edward was right there to catch me when I slipped.

I brushed my hair methodically while trying to think of something to say. "Hey, I haven't had that nightmare in days!" I commented.

"And you'll never have the chance to have it again."

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

Edward took the brush from my hand and took over. I stood there while he untangled each strand of hair.

Once I was tangle-free, I went into my room to change. I sat down on the bed and grabbed a pair of jeans, but Edward stopped me before I could pull them on. He pushed me back gently until my head hit the soft pillow and covered my body with his own.

"Edward, what..."

"Shh..." He silenced me. He closed his eyes and pressed his cheek against my chest. "Can we stay like this for a few minutes? One last time."

I nodded and ran my hands through his hair in the way I knew he loved. We laid there, in each other's arms until my stomach decided to growl. Laughing, he sat up and allowed me to get dressed before carrying me downstairs.

For my last meal, I had a little bit of everything. Eggs, toast, pastries, chicken, beef, fish, pie, soda, milk, juice... I took a single bite from every dish and ended up stuffed like a turkey. Edward stared at me intently while I ate, committing to memory every detail of my face.

Once we were done with the food I went to use the bathroom while he finished packing my clothes. He met me downstairs a little before noon.

"Are you ready?" He stood outside, next to his car, and extended his hand towards me. I looked back into the empty house and closed the door behind me, leaving the key under the eaves.

"Yes." I took his hand and let him guide me over to the car. "I am ready."

----------------------------

We went to his house, our house I guess, to drop off my things. I changed into my dress in Alice's bathroom while she chatted non-stop about all the things we'd do after my transformation. When I emerged wearing the pink dress she smiled and kissed both my cheeks. "You're definitely getting better at the shopping thing."

I rolled my eyes "Will you help me with my makeup?"

"Don't wear any. You look perfect just like that."

I stared at myself in the mirror. My hair was straight and shiny, my face clear and clean. I was barefoot and the soft fabric of the dress pooled around my feet.

"I look... wild." I said without thinking. Alice came to stand behind me and smiled "You look free."

I smiled up at her. "Fine, let's go then."

She handed me a matching jacket and some shoes for the ride before hugging me goodbye. "Jasper, Rosalie, Emmett and I are going hunting. We'll go far, because it's not safe to hunt in the woods while you camp out in the meadow. Esme and Carlisle will be here in case you need them."

She pulled me closer and whispered in my ear "Everything will go as planned. I'll see you on the other side, sis."

I was too choked up to speak, so instead I hugged her tighter.

Jasper shook my hand before leaving. As close as we'd gotten over the past few months, he still found it hard to be around me. Emmett lifted me in the air and gave me a big bear hug. Rosalie nodded in my direction before walking out the door, which was way more than I expected from her.

I waved at them, my family, from the porch. Edward wrapped his arms around my waist and whispered. "It's time."

I said my goodbyes to Esme, who reminded us she'd be on call 24/7. Carlisle gave us three cell phones, in case the batteries ran out. He stared at Edward for a few seconds, probably giving him some last minute instructions. Edward nodded before placing his hand on the small of my back and guiding me out the door.

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We drove to the meadow in silence. Once we got there, he ran over to my side of the car and opened the door for me. As soon as I got out, he wrapped a blanket around me and lifted me up, cradling me to his chest like a princess.

"Edward?"

"We have to run. I don't want you to get cold."

I hid my face in his neck and allowed him to run us to our meadow. I opened my eyes when I felt him lowering me into something soft. It was a bed, a huge bed surrounded by trees and snow. It looked like something out of a fairytale.

"Wow, Edward..."

He tucked me in carefully. "Did I tell you that you look beautiful today?"

I shook my head. He took off the coat of his dark suit and rolled up the sleeves of his blue shirt. "You look more beautiful than ever."

I blushed scarlet, which made him smile. His smile reflected so much sorrow, though, so much pain and sadness that it almost made me back out. Almost, but not quite.

He sat me up to help me out of my coat. Then laid me back down again and started explaining. "We're not exactly sure of how this works, but we believe the faster the venom gets to your heart, the faster the transformation. I'm going to bite your neck and your wrists. Hopefully, things will go a little quicker."

I gulped and nodded, my throat felt too dry to speak. "Don't be afraid." He whispered. "I will be able to stop." I could tell he was trying to convince himself just as much as he was trying to convince me.

"I am not afraid." I finally managed to say. "I'm ready."

He leaned down and kissed me softly. I kissed him back with as much intensity as the situation would allow. In spite of myself, tears rolled down my cheeks.

He brushed them away with his fingertips. "Bella, we don't have to do this."

"We have to and we want to. I'm ready Edward."

He nodded and kissed me again. This time, there was no point in holding back. For the first time ever, I felt his tongue lightly grazing my lips. I gave him entrance and gasped. Sensations that had never gone through my body before filled me, making me dizzy from the love and intensity of that one kiss.

When we finally parted, his body was shaking with emotion. He laid down next to me and placed his lips over the tender skin of my neck.

"I love you." He whispered.

"I can tell."

I felt his sad smile against my skin moments before his teeth touched my throat in one deadly kiss.

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_I am SO sorry it took me this long to update! Life got in the way. Plus I got stuck. I knew where I wanted to go and I knew how I wanted to get there, but no matter how hard I pushed and panted, the chapter refused to be squeezed out of me!_

_So anyway, if it sounds a little weird it's because it took me forever to write! Don't mind the spelling and grammar… much (I tried to proofread, I swear I did! But to be hones, I think I'm a little tipsy hehe) Besides, don't complain, the thing is 50 pages long!_

_The next chapter won't take nearly as much time, and it will be much smaller but there's a reason for that._

_Well I hope you liked it! Fluff galore apparently ;) Next chapter WILL have a plot, I swear.  
_


	9. Death Bed

**_Nightfall_**

**_-_**

**_-_**

**_Death Bed_**

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WARNING: THIS CHAPTER IS RATED T FOR VIOLENCE

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He nodded. His body shook with emotion. He laid down next to me and placed his lips over the tender skin of my neck.

"I love you." He whispered

"I can tell."

I felt his sad smile against my skin moments before his teeth grazed my throat with one deadly kiss.

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The bite itself wasn't as painful as I thought it would be. His teeth were so sharp he slid through my skin like butter. What I felt next was something so strange, so amazingly different I can't really describe it. When he touched his lips to my throat and drank from me I felt connected to him in a way I never had before. It was as if I were becoming a part of him. As if I were giving myself up to him completely and willingly, which I was, in a way. My life, or rather my death, was completely in his hands from that point on.

I felt his tongue against my small wound; drinking me so fast I didn't even get a chance to smell the blood. I started to feel weak, lifeless. I must admit a very tiny part of me was afraid he wouldn't be able to stop.

I could feel his struggle. I could sense him, battling against all instincts. After just a few moments, he pulled away from me. He roared in pain and frustration. His eyes rolled to the back of his head when he threw his face upwards in an attempt to regain some control.

"Edward." I whispered.

My voice seemed to help. He looked down on me with fear in his wild eyes. I lifted my wrist towards him weakly and, in a very small voice, said, "Hurry."

Shaking from pain and fear, he took my delicate arm in his strong hands and caressed my veins with his lips. That time I was able to see him when he used his teeth to slide my wrist open.

He kept his eyes on me while he drank. Even though he was slowly draining the life out of me, and even though from the corner of his mouth I could see a drop of blood threatening to fall on my brand new dress, he was still the most beautiful creature I had ever seen. In fact at that moment when his instincts collided with his humanity, he looked more enchanting than ever before.

I had never seen him like that, so in battle with himself, so powerfully determined to stay calm. His eyes were starting to change. I saw it happen. They slowly went from the warm color I was so used to, to the vibrant burgundy I'd seen only a couple of times in my life.

When his teeth left my skin, I reached up with my other hand to wipe away the small drop of my blood on his bottom lip. My hand never reached him, for at that precise moment, the burning began.

--------------------------------

At first, I felt as if someone had skinned me alive and poured salt all over me. It was a pain so sharp, so intense, I lost all control of my body. My back arched, lifting me from the bed against my will. With every thump of my heart, the scorching sensation spread further. I'd told myself repeatedly, before the whole thing started, that I would try to keep myself from screaming so Edward wouldn't feel too bad. It was a promise I could not keep.

I heard loud sobs and terrifying screams long before I realized they were coming from me. I barely noticed when Edward bit my other wrist. I did, however, see the expression on his face when he pulled me close to him under the covers. He was scared. What's even worse, his eyes were full of self-loathing.

Through my pain, I somehow managed to whisper to him "I love you."

His tearless sob broke my heart.

--------------------------------

The feeling of thousands of pricking needles that coursed through my bloodstream only got worse as the hours went by. I was so consumed by the fire in me that I threw away the heavy quilts that Edward had wrapped me in to keep me warm.

Snow had started to fall. The tree that Edward had located the bed under provided enough shelter to keep us dry. He kept trying to get me back under the covers, whispering almost incoherently about me getting sick. I couldn't find my voice to remind him it didn't matter anymore.

My bare feet were curled, my toes pointing in all directions. It was as if one huge cramp had taken over my body from the moment the venom started to spread. With my back painfully arched, I fisted my hands on the blankets without noticing. Edward had my feet between his hands. He was trying to relax them. But no amount of rubbing would ever be enough to soften my muscles while the transformation was going on and he knew that.

A seizure hit me then. Those scared Edward the most. He covered my body with his own and pressed my face to his chest. My body shook so hard I bit my tongue.

He smelled the blood instantly. He pushed me away from his body slightly and used his finger to open my mouth gently. I bit down on his rock hard skin uncontrollably, but he didn't even flinch. He was probably afraid I'd chip a tooth.

When the seizure passed I threw my sweat soaked face against the pillow, exhausted. He rubbed his cold finger over my bleeding tongue, soothing it a little. My throat was closing up from the tension in my muscles, making it impossible for me to swallow. Edward somehow noticed this and pulled me gently to the edge of the bed. I coughed and spat out all the blood that had accumulated in my mouth.

Embarrassment, fear and excruciating pain caused and endless stream of tears to roll down my cheeks. I was sobbing so hard my whole body shook as if I were having another seizure. Edward steadied my face with his hands and pressed his forehead against mine.

"It's okay, my love. You're going to pull through this. It will all be over soon. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I love you so much." His broken voice filled me with despair. I wanted nothing more than to hold him to me and whisper words of comfort but it was as if my mind had detached from my body. I was locked inside a cocoon of pain and could do nothing more than twist in agony.

----------------------------

I got my voice back the next morning, but I had no control over the words streaming out of my mouth. "Burns! It burns! Make it stop!" I yelled over and over. Edward spent most of the morning running fistfuls of snow all over my body. I could feel nothing but the heat, the burning, scalding heat. The snow only provided momentary relief.

Edward realized this after hours of my endless screaming. With a determined look on his face he struggled to get me out of my dress. Once he'd gotten rid of my clothes and his, he lifted me in his arms and carried me to a nearby stream.

The water was icy cold, but not frozen. He walked right into it, allowing the chilled release to cover me from the neck down. Even though it did nothing to alleviate the pain, I could feel the heat of my body decreasing. My muscles relaxed in cold comfort. Edward held me to him with one hand and used the other one to pour water on my face and stroke my hair.

By the time the sun went down I felt so exhausted I couldn't even lift my head up. Edward carried my limp body back to our bed. He dressed me with care, never taking his eyes away from my face.

Once we were fully clothed, he pulled me to him on the bed and wrapped his arms around me, creating an iron cage that made it impossible for me to even shiver. With his lips pressed against my forehead, he softly hummed my lullaby.

----------------------------

On the second morning, Edward had to restrain me, because I was in so much pain I started pulling my hair out in desperation. I trashed around, fighting against his hands and screaming incoherently.

He held my wrists over my head with one hand and used the other one to press my chest to the mattress. He tried as hard as he could to keep me from hurting myself, but I somehow managed to hit my head against the tree trunk serving as a headboard. I must've hit it pretty hard, because I stopped trashing around even though the pain grew exponentially.

When he realized I wasn't going to move as much anymore, Edward took a water bottle from a bag at the foot of the bed and lifted me up gently. He gave me very small sips, just enough for me to wet my lips.

I could feel the pain spreading, my cells hardening. By the last night of my transformation I'd lost most of my motor functions. I couldn't move, I could barely breathe and what little breath I had left was used for screaming. That was the first time in my life I ever wished for everything to end. I stared at Edward, my eyes being the only part of my body I had control over, and silently begged him to kill me, to drain me, to finish me off.

He couldn't read my mind, but he could interpret my stare. He crushed me to him and lifted my face roughly so my eyes could meet his. His voice broke when he whispered, "You're pulling through this, Isabella. We've come this far. Listen to me! I love you! I need you! If you die on me, I'll find a way to follow you."

My eyes filled with the last of my tears and they slowly spilled down my cheeks. He kissed the salty tracks. I knew then that I would never cry again.

-----------------------------

I could feel my transformation coming to an end. Through the pain I noticed how my heart slowed down considerably every passing second. I was barely aware of the sun shining on my last human moments.

Edward, his body stiff from stress, rocked me back and forth when my screams turned into tearless sobs. His tortured eyes stared into mine. Only his beauty, his perfection and his smell kept me from losing my mind.

He could feel my heart. He knew it was going to end soon.

"Bella..." He whispered.

Two things happened at once. Edward's head snapped up, his eyes wide with fear, and one of the cell phones that Carlisle had given us started to ring loudly.

He got up in one swift move, leaving me on the bed.

It happened so fast I'm amazed my eyes were able to see the whole thing. A huge body was running at lightning speed towards me. Edward ran right into it. The sound of the crash was deafening.

Edward jumped to his feet but the stranger was faster. When I saw his face a fear so strong it made the pain pale in comparison, overtook me.

I'd seen that face and that huge body before, hundreds of times. The wild, red eyes. The messy hair. He was the vampire from my nightmares, the one who would eventually kill us both.

Edward's roar startled me. He tackled the stranger from behind and threw him to the ground, but the strong vampire shrugged him off, lifted him by the neck and threw him.

I could hear Edward's body slamming against a tree trunk. He was by my side again in a fraction of a second, but not before the other vampire had a chance to lift me up and bite into my stomach.

I felt the bite on top of everything else. He wasn't gentle, the way Edward had been. His teeth tore my flesh apart, provoking even more pain than I ever thought possible.

I tossed my head back and screamed the first two coherent words to leave my throat in two days. "Edward, go!"

I wanted him to leave me there and save himself. I could feel the blood flowing freely, soaking my dress and the bed underneath me. I knew how it was all going to end.

Edward probably didn't even hear me. He was already fighting the bigger vampire off me. He succeeded, momentarily. The vampire dropped me. I bounced off the edge of the bed and fell face first into the snowy ground. The snow around me got tainted with my blood. The redness spread fast, too fast.

I could see them fighting in front of me. Thunderous punches and snapping noises filled the air while the two males tore each other apart. I shook with fear and shock, unable to do anything.

Edward was trying really hard, I could see it in his eyes. But he was fighting two monsters, the one in front of him and the one inside of him. His eyes were wild with thirst but filled with love and fear for my life. The other vampire had it easy, he was not only bigger and stronger, but he was only fighting Edward to get to me.

No matter how many times Edward pushed him away from me, he always bounced right back and lounged for me again. Edward couldn't keep him down.

Eventually, the red-eyed rival realized he had to neutralize Edward in order to get to me. The next time Edward snapped at him, he grabbed his neck and threw him down on the ground.

I tried to scream, to warn him, when the vampire's teeth, still covered in my blood, tore open Edward's bare chest.

It was happening, my nightmare was coming true right in front of my eyes and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

Edward roared in pain and fear for me. He turned around to look at me when the other vampire grabbed a fistful of his wounded flesh.

"I love you." Edward mouthed.

I was still sobbing uncontrollably, lying helpless on the ground, when something amazing happened. I saw light all around me, brightness coming from everywhere. When I looked down I realized it was coming from me. It was then that I noticed the small ray of sun filtering through the trees and bouncing off my skin. My transformation was almost over; my muscles were already inhumanly strong. Only the pain kept me on the ground.

I was not going to let that one vampire deprive me of my life with Edward. I was not going to sit there and watch while he destroyed the love of my life.

With the excruciating pain still present in my body I got up. Determination and love forced me to crawl towards the two vampires. Once I got close enough, I stood up. The pain multiplied by a million, my body refused to cooperate but somehow I managed to walk up behind the enemy.

Edward's eyes were wide with surprise. "No, Bella!" He yelled.

The red-eyed beast in front of me turned around, clearly startled by my presence.

I threw myself at him, catching him by surprise and sending us both flying backwards.

Something strong lifted me off him and tossed me to the side. My body was so exhausted I couldn't even breathe.

From the corner of my eye I saw Carlisle and Esme cornering the intruder. Edward was lying just a few feet away from me.

"Edward." I whispered urgently. He turned his face around to look at me, but I could tell he was still in too much pain to move.

"I'm dying." I mumbled.

His eyes flew open. He crawled to me, his pain forgotten, and pulled me into his lap.

"It's okay, my love. It's almost over. Let go, you're safe now. I'll be right here when you come around." And then he gave me my last human kiss.

My head rolled limply to the side. During the few moments it took for my heart to stop, I saw a pair of blue eyes staring at us from the edge of the forest. I'd seen those blue orbs only once before.

If you believe, like I do, that eyes can smile, then trust me when I tell you those eyes were not smiling. They were grinning.

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_This is the shortest chapter you'll ever get from me. I just thought it was important for the transformation to have it's own place._

_I'm going to the beach for a week, I'll start working on the next chapter as son as I get back._

_I hope you liked this. I'm a little nervous about this chapter because it's so… well I don't know. As always, sorry for the mistakes. I have to go pack! See you in a week!_


	10. Changes

**Nightfall**

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**Changes**

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_"Edward." I whispered urgently. He turned his face around to look at me, but I could tell he was still in too much pain to move._

_"I'm dying." I mumbled._

_His eyes flew open. He crawled to me, his pain forgotten, and pulled me into his lap._

_"It's okay, my love. It's almost over. Let go, you're safe now. I'll be right here when you come around." And then he gave me my last human kiss._

_My head rolled limply to the side. During the few moments it took for my heart to stop, I saw a pair of blue eyes staring at us from the edge of the forest. I'd seen those blue orbs only once before._

_If you believe, like I do, that eyes can smile, then trust me when I tell you those eyes were not smiling. They were grinning._

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When I opened my eyes again I felt perfect. I was neither hot nor cold. I wasn't tired or drowsy. I didn't feel disoriented or dizzy. I looked up at Edward, who was still holding me close, and wondered how much time had passed.

My eyesight seemed to be a thousand times better. I could perfectly distinguish every inch of his concerned face. I could also hear everything. If I focused, I could hear the stream as if I were standing in it. I was aware of what felt like every cell of my body. I could genuinely feel everything touching my skin and distinguish it for what it was. The dirt, the snow, the grass, Edward...

The sunlight bounced off his godlike skin. When I reached out to touch his face I realized my skin glistened just as much as his. I could see his eyes intently analyzing me.

"Bella? Are you okay?" He sounded so worried.

I wanted to say yes, I wanted to tell him everything was just perfect, but I soon realized something was missing. I frowned.

"What's wrong?" Edward asked in alarm.

"I feel weird."

He raised his eyebrows. "Well... you're dead."

I rolled my eyes, "No, I know but... I don't know, something is missing."

We sat there in silence for a few seconds. Edward studied me closely. Then he smiled, leaned down towards me and whispered, "Breathe, Bella."

I inhaled deeply. Suddenly I was flooded with his heavenly scent in such a powerful way that, had I been human, I surely would've fainted. I could also smell everything else, the trees, the flowers, the snow.

"Thank you."

He was laughing when he answered "Any time."

I took another deep breath and smelled smoke, plus something that made my insides turn. I smelled my own, dried blood.

I was suddenly stunned with a thirst so strong it made my hand fly to my throat. The muscles on the back of my mouth clenched. I couldn't think straight. I couldn't even swallow.

Out of nowhere, Edward's strong hand covered my nose and my mouth. "Hold your breath, Bella. I'll get you out of here soon enough."

It was then that I remembered his injuries. With alarm I turned to him and ran my hands over his previously wounded chest. I found nothing but smooth skin.

"I heal quickly." He answered my unspoken question. Carlisle and Esme walked up to us before I could reply.

Carlisle took one look at me, lifted me from Edward's arms and started walking into the woods. "Come on, we need to get you out of here. I'll explain everything in the car."

"I can walk." I told him, while still holding my breath, with the little air I had left in my lungs.

"I know you can. But I'm not sure you're ready to handle your instincts. If a human happens to walk by..." He didn't finish his sentence. I instantly stopped struggling and allowed him to encase me in his arms.

"I'll carry her." Edward's voice was a little shaky. I turned around in time to see him painfully getting himself up from the ground. Apparently he was only externally healed.

"Edward..."

"No," He walked over to us and held out his arms for me, "She's my wife."

I raised my eyebrows in surprise at his words. He smiled and clarified, "Or she will be soon, anyway."

Carlisle smiled and handed me over. When Edward's skin came into contact with mine, I felt a jolt of electricity going through me just like that day, months ago, in the biology lab.

"I will take care of you." He promised. I covered my nose with my hand and allowed him to take me home.

--------------------------------------------

Once I was safely locked in the car, Carlisle began his story.

"Alice called. She had a vision of you two being attacked. She had it maybe an hour ago, but she couldn't get a signal for a few minutes. When she got through to me, we were afraid we'd be too late..."

"I knew the guy." I stated.

Esme and Carlisle both turned around to stare at me, the road completely forgotten. Edward, who was sitting on the back seat with me, simply gasped with understanding.

"What do you mean you knew him sweetie?" Esme's concerned voice matched her expression.

"Well, I didn't know him, know him. He was the vampire of my nightmares, the one that Alice saw in a vision a few months back, before we went to Alaska."

"The one with the coven that Alice saw attacking us back in September? The ones who never showed?" Carlisle was intrigued.

"No wonder the guy was so relentless. You appealed to him the way that you do to me." Edward's brow was furrowed in concentration. "He was a young vampire, I could see it in his eyes. He had no control over his hunger."

We'd reached the house by then. Edward opened the door, took my hand and pulled me out of the car gently. "The others are on their way back. They should be home tonight." I nodded at Carlisle and followed Edward inside.

"Bella?" His voice stopped me. "I just wanted to tell you how proud we are. We admire you for what you did, overcoming your pain to save the man you love." Had I been human, I would've blushed at his words.

"Letting him kill us was not an option." I simply stated. He nodded reverently.

"What my husband is trying to say," Esme walked up to me and opened her arms, "is welcome to our family, my child."

With my mouth wide open and my heart filled by her kindness, I walked into Esme's motherly hug.

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When Edward opened the door for me, I had to gasp. The living room was, for the first time since I'd met Edward, cluttered.

I wasn't a disorganized clutter. The many boxes that took up much of the floor-space were surprisingly clean and well labeled. Some of them were records, others were marked simply with a name. Most of them said Alice or Carlisle. But the boxes were not what caught my attention. The rather large machines next to the piano were the ones holding my interest.

"What is all this?" I asked Edward.

"The contents of our basement. We cleared it out so you and I can spend some time locked in there." His hand on the small of my back made me shudder with pleasure. Some things never change, I guess.

"Doing what?" I frowned. Not that the idea of spending any amount of time locked in a room with Edward displeased me in any way.

"I guess you could call it training." He was guiding me over to the basement. I opened the door curiously. "Training for what?"

"For the human world." He answered simply.

"What do you mean?" My frown deepened.

He gave me one of his perfect crooked smiles and pointed at my hand, the one holding the doorknob. I glanced down, still confused.

I gasped and released the cool metal as if it'd burned me. The shape of my fingers stayed perfectly imprinted on the handle. I'd dented the metal without even noticing.

"You have to learn to mind your strength, Bella." He explained casually while he stirred me in the direction of the basement stairs.

"Wait." I stopped.

"What is it?"

"Could I take a vampire minute first?"

His relieved laughter was music to my ears. "Of course." He took my hand again and walked with me up the stairs. "But let me prepare the bath for you. If you turn the water on, I'll probably spend the rest of the day fixing the pipes."

He took me to Alice's bathroom, the closest one he could find. While he prepared the water for me, I took the chance to look at myself in the mirror for the first time in over three days. My reflection startled me.

My face looked a lot like it used to, only my features seemed a little more refined, as if I'd lost the extra weight around my cheeks. My arms were toned, firm and pearly white. The pink dress that I'd been wearing since Saturday showed clear signs of the struggle. It was ripped where the vampire's teeth had slashed my now rock-hard abdomen. The skirt was torn from one side, exposing most of my slightly muscular right leg. My hair was a complete mess. That, apparently, hadn't changed. I untangled a leaf from my long strands and tossed it to the floor. It landed next to my bare feet. I looked beautiful and wild and, somehow, a little dangerous.

But what startled me the most were my eyes. They'd turned a vibrant shade of red.

"Thank the twenty first century for contact lenses." Edward caught me staring at myself, "When I went through it I had to fake blindness for a year."

"Why did this happen?" I leaned closer to my reflection.

"All the blood in your body makes your eyes turn red. Thanks to that impertinent vampire, you'll probably only have those for a few months." His voice sounded strained when he talked about my attacker.

I leaned back against Edward's chiseled chest and stared in wonder at our reflection in the mirror. His arms went around my waist instantly, pulling me closer. He rested his chin on my shoulder and smiled at the picture of us. We looked absolutely perfect.

"I still can't believe you did this." He thought out loud.

"Did what?"

"This! You died for me, Bella."

I turned around in his arms to face him. "No, actually, I died for us. I had my own selfish reasons."

He smiled at me and rested his forehead against mine. "Take your vampire minute, my love. I'll be waiting for you downstairs. There is much to talk about." He kissed the top of my head and released me. As soon as my body lost contact with his I felt wrong, disconnected somehow.

"Oh and Bella?" He added before leaving.

"Yeah?"

"Try not to break anything."

The hand soap that I threw at him punched a hole through the wall.

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I dressed in the comfortable sweats Edward left for me on Alice's bed and walked downstairs, careful not to hold on to anything. Carlisle, Edward and Esme were talking in hushed voices, but I could hear every single word from where I was standing at the top of the stairs.

"Should we be worried?" Esme asked.

"No, I see no connection between the two." Carlisle answered her.

"I'd rather just go..."

"Go where?" I asked Edward. He froze for a moment, but smiled immediately after. "I'm not used to you being so quiet! You actually startled me!"

"Couldn't you smell me?" In all the confusion, I'd forgotten to ask him about my smell.

"Yes, I could." He smiled at me but said nothing else. I guessed that was a conversation he wanted to save for when we were alone.

"So where are we going?" I asked again.

"To the basement. Carlisle and Esme have some things they want to discuss with us."

I nodded and followed them downstairs. The basement was almost empty except for a large table with matching chairs, a huge leather couch, a few boxes and a pool table. The walls were really thick, probably soundproof.

Carlisle sat down at the table and we all did the same. As soon as we were settled, he turned to me.

"So, Bella, how are you feeling?"

"Much better." Anything was better than the pain I'd felt for the past three days, and the burning thirst on the back of my throat had dissolved into a dull throb since we'd left the forest.

"Good. Look, Edward will explain to you the changes and precautions that you'll have to take. Esme and I want to discuss your options so we can get to work on that while you're down here."

"My options?" I frowned.

"Yours and Edward's. You see, it's not safe for you here. The best thing for you to do is to go someplace new, somewhere were no one will recognize you and notice a change. We can easily fake your death so your parents won't get suspicious."

I momentarily panicked. I wasn't ready to say goodbye to my parents yet. I knew things would have to change, but I never expected to cut myself from their lives like that so soon. The panic, however, lasted only a second. My mind immediately came up with a better solution to our problem.

"Actually, I think it might be better for me if we stay here for a while. At least a couple of years."

"No, Bella. Carlisle is right." Edward interrupted me but I cut him off.

"Not really. If my reaction to my own spilled blood today is any indication, I'm going to have a hell of a time overcoming my thirst. I think I might need some sort of external motivation. And what better motivation than keeping safe the people that I care about?"

Edward was shaking his head, but Esme and Carlisle seemed to understand my idea.

"Think about it, Edward! It's going to be a thousand times easier to resist if the only ones that I can kill are people that I know. If we go someplace new, I won't have those emotional attachments to help me."

"Bella, it's too dangerous." He took my hand and I squeezed it.

"Look, my main reason for staying on the wagon will always be you... well that and my respect for mankind. And I know that being with you will keep me strong. But can't we just stay here for a little while?"

"She's right, Edward. This might make things easier for her."

Edward's eyes snapped up to stare at his father. "Don't worry." Carlisle looked intently at him. I could tell he was speaking to Edward in his mind. "You have plenty of time to take her everywhere. Give her some time to get used to this life." I knew he spoke aloud only for my benefit, but it comforted me to know how he felt about my decision.

"Fine." Edward finally gave in. He turned to me and shrugged, "But since you're such a genius, you better come up with a plan so Charlie won't notice the differences in you."

"I'll think of something" I promised. He stared into my eyes for the longest moment before leaning in and touching his nose to mine. "You better."

"We'll take that as our cue to leave." Esme stood up, taking Carlisle with her. I barely noticed when they closed the door behind them.

-------------------------------------

"So, how do we start my training?" I smiled at my godlike boyfriend.

"Come." He took me over to the large couch and laid down, taking me with him. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me close, with more force than ever before.

"Mmm, I like it already." I teased.

He rewarded me with a wide smile. "I thought we could talk for a while before we begin."

"Okay." I immediately thought of the hundreds of questions that I had for him and wondered how to start.

"I know you have a lot of questions, so go ahead. Ask me."

I stared at him in shock and asked, in a joking manner. "Can you read my thoughts now?"

His loud laugh made me smile. "Trust me, Bella. I would've told you _that_ right away. I probably would've kneeled over from the shock first, though. Any more questions."

"How do I smell?" In any other context, that would've been a really gross question to ask.

He knew that one was coming, and he had his answer ready. He brushed a strand of hair away from my face. "The same, only different. It's still the same exceedingly luscious, mouth watering floral scent that you've always had. In fact, it's even stronger than before. Only it doesn't make my mouth water anymore. Does that make sense?"

"Sort of." I frowned, struggling to understand.

"Think of it this way. How did I smell to you when you were human?"

"Inhumanly delicious."

"And did that make you want to eat me?"

"Not exactly."

"Well, it's exactly like that."

I grinned. "So maybe if the roles had been reversed, if I'd been a vampire first, I would've lusted for your blood the way you did for mine?"

His gentle smile illuminated his face. "Maybe I would've been your brand of heroin."

"You already are." I pointed out, "I'm hopelessly addicted to you."

His smile widened. He ran his fingers along my spine until he reached my neck. I shivered from his touch, which made him smile even more. He cupped my cheeks with his hands and pulled me in for a kiss.

When his lips touched mine, the emotions that ran through made me feel like crying. It was so perfect, so delicious and right that I never wanted it to end. My lips parted against his and for a moment he froze, until he remembered he had no reason to hold back now.

His lips moved against mine in a gentle but passionate kiss. His tongue lightly traced the contours of my cold lips. Everything about him, the smell of his breath, the feel of his body, it was all driving me insane. I ran my hands over his firm chest and he deepened the kiss. One of his hands moved down to my hips.

And then we heard them. Carlisle and Esme were talking to Edward's siblings. Alice was running for the door. Even through the soundproof walls I knew exactly where she was even before she knocked.

"Bella!" She threw the door open before we even responded. I wanted to sit up and greet her, but Edward wouldn't let me go. He pressed me more firmly against his chest and buried his face in my hair.

"Bella! Oh thank god! You look so beautiful! I can't believe this happened! I'm so sorry, I couldn't see..."

"Alice, calm down." Edward finally said. He pointed to a chair in front of the couch and commanded. "Sit, tell us what happened." He allowed me to turn around in his arms to face his sister, but he still wouldn't let me sit.

"I'm not exactly sure of what happened, but from what I could see, I think this is the story. The coven that we saw passing through forks back in September never came here because you two weren't here. I believe they were going back south now. I'm not sure how that guy ended up alone, but the other ones are waiting for him a few towns away. When he doesn't show up, they'll just think he deserted them. They will not come looking for him. The guy was just running by, he wasn't even close to you guys, but he found something."

"What?" I asked, intrigued.

"A jacket. Your raincoat I think. He picked up your scent and forgot about everything else. He wanted you so badly, Bella! Just as much as Edward does... or did, I guess."

I slapped my forehead. "My raincoat! I left it on our way home on Friday. I took it off while I tried to change the flat tire after Jessica's accident."

"And that's what started all this? You really are a trouble magnet." Edward ruffled my hair playfully. Now that he knew I couldn't easily get hurt, he was much more comfortable talking about my accidents.

"Yeah. Well I'm glad everything is fine now. I do feel a little sorry for the other guy, though. He had no control over himself." Alice shrugged. "There was no other way of getting him off you, though. So..." She let her words hang. I stared uncomfortably at my hands.

"Well, I guess I'll leave you two lovebirds alone. Come find me when you're done here." Alice winked at me. Had I been human, I surely would've turned crimson.

Edward sighed. "We should probably start. I want to finish this as soon as possible so I can take you hunting."

"Did you do this when you became a vampire?" I asked him.

"No. Carlisle helped me through the first years but I never had anything like this. I'm just trying to make things easier for you."

I sat up and gave him a peck on the lips. "I appreciate that."

He gave me a crooked smile and lifted me by the arm. "Okay, let's see. First things first, do you see, hear or feel anything strange?"

I laughed. "If you're asking if I can read people's thoughts, have visions or control emotions the answer is no." I shrugged. "I feel different, but not _that_ different."

His smile widened. "Good to know. Now, your speed is easy to control. Run around the room."

I frowned and ran around the room once. I did so at normal running speed. I didn't trip, which was the only major change, and I didn't get tired, but other than that nothing happened.

"Okay," He took my hand when I stood next to him. "Now run with me and try to keep up."

We zipped around the room in half a second. When I felt him pulling me I pushed myself to catch up and discovered with pleasure that it required no extra effort from me.

"You see," Edward explained once we were standing by the couch again. "Walking and talking do not depend on how fast you can do it, but on how fast you usually do it. You talk so people can understand you, but right now, if you wanted, you could speak too fast to be heard by humans. Same with the walking. Just be careful when you're excited or scared and always mind your actions."

I nodded at him. We ran around a few more times. He tested me to see how fast I could run. He was still faster than me, but I did fine. Edward was pleased.

"Your strength, on the other hand, is a lot harder to manage. With the amount of force that you used to apply to something like the door handle to get it open, you can now crush it." Edward reached into a box and produced a water balloon. He tossed it my way. My hand immediately reached out to catch it. It exploded between my fingers.

"Mind your strength, Bella." He tossed me another one and again, I crushed it.

After almost twenty balloons I managed to keep one intact. I was so surprised I squeezed it. Edward rolled his eyes.

"Let's try some solids." He walked up to me and held out a piece of wood. He asked me to put my thumb underneath it and my index finger on top. I did as he told me, barely touching the board.

"Okay, now press it between your fingers a little." I concentrated on the task. He let go of the wood and I found myself holding a long, heavy board with just two fingers. I couldn't even feel the weight.

"Press down a little harder and see what happens."

The wood shrunk like a sponge. I rubbed the corner of the board between my fingers and watched it dissolve like a sugar cube.

"Wow" I whispered.

"Wow would be correct." Edward, who was standing right behind me, rested his chin on my shoulder.

"Oh Edward, I'm so sorry!" I suddenly apologized. He frowned in confusion. "For what?"

"All those times I recklessly threw myself at you or made sudden moves... It must have been so hard on you!"

Edward rolled his eyes. "You are absurd. You're apologizing because I could've crushed you to death in an instant?"

"Yes." I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled myself up to kiss him gently.

He sighed against my lips. "If I got this for controlling my strength, I can't wait until we get to the blood part."

I slapped his chest playfully and he pulled me in for another breathtaking kiss. When we parted, I asked. "What now?"

"Now," his eyes glistened with excitement, "we shoot some pool."

-------------------------------------------

It proved to be harder than I ever imagined. Before my transformation I lacked the coordination to play something as elaborate as pool. Now, I lacked the restrain. The first time I tried it I broke the stick, chipped the ball and made a hole on the table. Edward laughed at me uncontrollably.

"This is not funny, Edward." I scowled.

"Of course it is, my love. Here, let me help." He stood behind me, wrapping his arms around my body to cover my hands with his own. I closed my eyes and concentrated on breathing. He was so close I felt tingly all over.

"Now shoot." He ordered.

I missed the ball by a mile.

"I see this is going to take some time." He kissed my cheek and I sighed.

"More than some, if you keep that up."

He laughed against my ear, "Keep practicing, Bella. You'll be an expert before you know it."

He was right, of course. After a while I was able to handle my strength pretty well. When he was finally satisfied with my progress, he sat me down on the couch again.

"Bella, this is going to be the hardest part of this so called training." He looked so serious I could do nothing except gulp and nod.

He walked up the stairs. Alice was waiting by the door with a small fridge. I knew what was in it immediately. Blood. Human blood.

The back of my throat tightened. My mouth overflowed with venom. My stomach shook with a hunger so deep I felt as if I hadn't eaten in days. With a startled gasp, I realized I actually hadn't.

I remained seated, very still and very frightened, while Edward opened the fridge. Inside, there was a syringe full of blood. I closed my eyes and stopped my breathing in an attempt to shut the craving out. I felt so weird and so wrong. How could I crave something that I'd despised my whole life?

"Just so you know." Edward stopped breathing too when he squeezed a small drop of blood on the table. "I will never let you taste this."

I launched myself at the red liquid before my mind fully understood what was happening. Just before my outstretched hands reached their destination, a powerful pair of arms held me back. I growled, roared and snapped at the person behind me. Every fiber in my being wanted to reach out and lick the blood off the flat surface of the table. I wanted nothing more than to satiate the thirst.

When I realized I couldn't disentangle myself from the person behind me, I started listening to the noise he was making. It took some time for me to calm down enough to hear him. Edward was talking to me, he was saying the same thing over and over again.

"Bella, think! Think! Think about what you're doing! Use your brain and your sense to overcome your instinct. Think Bella!"

I calmed down enough to stop breathing again. The coppery smell wasn't as strong then. My body relaxed a little.

"Edward?" I whispered.

The arm around my waist tightened, but the one diagonally covering my chest slid down a little so Edward could caress my exposed collarbone. "Yes, my love?"

"I'm scared."

He lifted me in the air and carried me to the couch, where he laid me down and rested his weight on top of mine. "You need to breathe, Bella. It _will_ get easier, I promise. But you need to breathe if you're going to get used to the smell."

I took a deep breath and growled again. I tried to sit up but Edward held me down. He pressed me against the couch while I trashed around until I stopped.

My growls became soft moans, which then turned into whimpers. He held me the whole time, caressing my hair and whispering words of encouragement. Days and nights went by while we laid on the couch.

When Edward decided I could handle it, he sat up. I sat with him, staring at the syringe on the table, inhaling the salty smell of dried blood. I lost all track of time.

After a while he pulled me up. We took small steps towards the table, stopping several times along the way to let me adjust. It took us an eternity to get there. When the blood was within reach, Edward squeezed it all out on the table. I stood, perfectly still, next to the blood. The need that I had to reach out and taste it was unbelievable. Never in my life had I felt something so strong. I was in physical pain, standing so close to my craving.

I battled with myself. I wondered how it would feel to taste it, what it would be like to take just one sip. I tried to talk myself into believing I could handle tasting it once. Just like a recovering alcoholic, it was a battle of wills, my wills.

The rational part of me eventually won. I crumbled to the ground in surrender, completely determined never to taste human blood. Edward sat on the floor with me and pulled me into his lap. I grabbed on to his shirt and allowed a few tearless sobs to leave me.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I'm sorry for putting you through this." He whispered against my hair.

"All in all, I consider this a pretty effective training." I said between sobs. He let out a chuckle and pulled me closer.

"I meant for changing you, for forcing this way of life on you."

"Edward?"

"Yes?"

"If you say you forced me into this one more time, I'll konk you on the head with a toilet seat."

He stared at me, stunned, before erupting in laughter. "Why a toilet seat?"

"Because I could hit you with anything and it wouldn't hurt. At least a toilet seat has that gross factor."

"Come on." He stood up and unnecessarily offered me his hand.

"Where are we going?"

"I think we're done here, and I have a present for you."

-------------------------------------------

I stood in the living room, staring through the glass at the vast back yard, my eyebrows pulled together in a deep frown.

"Do you like it?" Edward asked.

"It's a cow." I stared at the spotted animal with confusion.

"No, it's a dinosaur. Yes it's a cow, Bella."

"It has a bow around its neck." I stated.

"Consider this takeout." Edward wrapped an arm around me and I raised my eyebrows.

"You want me to eat it?"

Edward rolled his eyes. "No, Bella. I want you to throw a stick and see if it gets it back to you."

"Feeling a little sarcastic today, are we?"

"Just a tad."

I never took my eyes away from the large animal that seemed to be staring at me through the glass. It mooed.

"Come on." Edward guided me towards the door. I followed reluctantly.

As soon as the cow spotted us, it mooed loudly and tried to run away, only to be pulled back by the chain around its neck.

"I think I just became a vegetarian." I announced over the animal's loud complains.

"Bella, my love, you already are."

I knew he was right, of course. I took a step closer to the cow and started to feel the thirst. It was nowhere near as strong as what I'd felt from smelling just a drop of human blood, but it was there.

"I thought this would make the transition easier. You ate stake all the time when you were human." Edward reminded me.

"Okay, how do I do this?"

He walked up to me, brushed my hair away from my face and kissed me. "Just let go, Bella. Let your instincts take over. You're safe here, and I'll be right behind you to help keep you in control."

I nodded and turned towards the animal. It was still a few hundred feet away. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and paid attention to the thirst.

My tongue started feeling heavy and dry as I walked closer to the panicking animal. I felt something inside of me pulling me towards it, taking over my movements.

I was still several feet away when I pounced. My teeth sank down on the first thing I could reach. I couldn't even hear the animal anymore while I tore at its stomach and gratefully drank the warm liquid emanating from the wound.

It tasted good, so unbelievably good, like a big glass of cold coke in a hot day only a million times better. I could feel the pricking on the back of my throat slowly dissipating, leaving nothing but a welcomed sense of calm.

When there was nothing left to take, I looked up. Edward was right there, next to me. He looked sad but also excited, and not just in the euphoric sense of the word. His eyes shone with muted passion and desire. I stood up and waited for him as he walked over to me very slowly.

His hand reached out to touch my face. It was only then that I realized I had smeared blood all over myself. I stared at my shoes feeling a little ashamed.

"Table manners come with time, my love." Edward licked his fingers clean. I had to close my eyes. The image of him was just too beautiful.

"I would like to get cleaned up." I mentioned. He nodded and took me upstairs to his bathroom. He sat on the bed and watched while I got some clothes from my drawer.

"Stay." I told him. He became a statue before my very eyes. Then, the statue spoke.

"I should probably make more room for you in the closet."

"Fine, do that. But don't leave."

"Yes ma'am."

I smiled on my way to the bathroom.

-------------------------------------

I was pleasantly surprised to discover I didn't have to think too much about not denting everything I touched. It was as if my sense of touch had adjusted already.

The water cascaded down my back. I could feel every individual drop as it bounced off my hard shoulders. I stared at the pile of bloody clothes I'd peeled off me moments before and held back a shudder. It would get easier. I knew it would.

I scrubbed my body furiously with Edward's sponge, getting rid of all traces of blood. I took a moment then to examine my body more closely. My stomach had always been flat, but it had never looked toned or muscular. It was certainly hard now. I ran my fingertips over the strong muscles in awe.

When the water ran cold I turned it off out of habit. I wrapped a fluffy, white towel around myself and used Edward's hairbrush to untangle my long mane. I dressed casually in jeans and a light shirt before leaving the room.

Edward was resting on the bed, his arms behind his head. I sat down next to him and reached out to touch his chiseled face. He smiled against my fingers.

"Come here." He pulled me down next to him and tucked me under his arm, pressing me gently against his chest.

"Edward?"

"Yes?"

"Can I ask you a question?"

"You can ask me as many as you want."

"What happened outside, while I was... eating. What did you feel?"

He pressed me closer and mumbled. "Not that one."

"You said I could ask anything!" My voice was muffled by his chest.

"Ask me something else. I'll answer that one some other time."

"Okay. When you regret changing me -because I know it happens sometimes, I can see it in your eyes- why do you feel that way?"

He pushed me away a little to stare into my eyes. "Were you not there this past weeks? Did you not see everything I've put you through?"

"Yeah, but that's all over now. Small price to pay for an eternity with you. Even if the love factor wasn't involved, humans have searched for immortality since the beginning of time. What makes you think what you gave me is anything but a gift? Something people have killed in vain to obtain?"

"The ones who search for immortality are mortals." He stated.

I swallowed my sarcastic remark at his redundant comment and waited for him to continue. "No one who searches for immortality has ever tried it before. They don't know what they're asking."

"But you gave it to me."

"Because I love you and I'm selfish. And you bugged me about it too much." He ruffled my wet hair playfully before pulling me close again. While he showered my face with kisses I couldn't help but feel like there was something he wasn't telling me.

----------------------------------------

"Edward!" Alice danced into the room without bothering to knock. Both Edward and I had heard her coming, so it wasn't entirely a surprise. But that didn't keep Edward from complaining.

"Doesn't anybody knock anymore? We could've been indisposed." My eyes shot wide open at his words and I slapped his shoulder gently.

"Oh please, like I wouldn't see that one coming." Alice sat down on the leather couch, facing us. Even though I couldn't blush anymore, I was so embarrassed by the blunt discussion of my still non-existent sexual life I begged the earth to swallow me whole.

"We're all going hunting tonight. Do you want to come with us?" She asked.

Edward shook his head, "I want to take her alone. But first, we have some stuff to take care of here."

"You haven't hunted in weeks, Edward." Alice reminded him and I silently wondered how much time had passed since my transformation.

"I'll have a deer tonight. Don't worry, Alice." I muffled a laugh. That would sound so strange if it were taken out of context.

She rolled her eyes and got up in one graceful movement. "Fine." She danced out.

"What is it that we have to do here?" I asked.

"First, you should call your father."

I frowned and sat up. "Exactly how long has it been since I left his house?"

"Sixteen days."

My jaw dropped to the floor. "What? How?"

Edward touched my face gently. "The days tend to blend together when you don't sleep. Don't worry about it."

He handed me the phone and waited patiently while I dialed.

"Hello?" My dad's voice sounded loud and clear, as if he were standing right next to me. That threw me off for a moment.

"Hello?" He repeated.

"Dad?" My voice came out shaky. I wondered why I felt so nervous.

"Bella? Are you okay?"

"Calm down." Edward whispered to me. I took a deep breath and tried again.

"Yeah dad, it's me. We're back from our cruise and I was just checking in."

"How was it?"

"Very nice. We saw tons of cool places." I was glad when he didn't ask me anything else about the trip, but freaked out at his next words.

"Lets have dinner tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? Dinner?" My eyes shot wide open.

"Yeah, you, me and Edward. We can go to a nice restaurant."

Edward shook his head. "No crowds." He mouthed.

"Erm, well why don't we have dinner at your place instead? So we can talk and all..."

"Okay, great. I'll see you two tomorrow at seven. I'll cook!" I cringed at the thought but agreed quickly.

"Okay dad, see you tomorrow."

Edward was staring at me. "What?" I asked.

"Dinner should be interesting" He replied cryptically.

"Do you think I'm ready?" I tried to bite my nails until I remembered I couldn't anymore.

"Lets find out." He stood up and offered me his hand. I hesitated only for a second before getting up.

------------------------------------

As we drove into town I started to get nervous. What if I couldn't do it? What if I wasn't ready to be around people? But then I realized Edward would never let me hurt anyone and I started to relax.

I realized it was still very early. Only a few people walked down the sidewalks.

As we got closer to them, the dull tingling in the back of my throat got worse, a million times worse. I felt the now familiar churning of my stomach and the dryness of my mouth before we even passed next to anyone. I stopped breathing. That helped.

"You need to breathe, Bella." Edward scolded me. "You _need_ to get used to this."

I nodded and took a few small breaths. _Mind over matter._ I repeated Edward's mantra over and over again in my head. He took my hand and squeezed it. We could do this. I could do this.

We drove around for an hour until we ran out of gas. By that time, I felt a little more confident about my restrain. Edward stopped for gas and got out of the Volvo. I waited patiently for him, sitting on my hands and staring into space.

I got bored soon and decided to people watch. Something strange caught my eye and I frowned. Edward, who was done filling the tank, asked. "What's wrong?"

"Men are staring at me." I mumbled.

Edward understood every word, of course, and he smiled. "Well, my love, you are now... how should I put it... universally beautiful. There is not a single person on this earth who wouldn't find you attractive. You better get used to the stares."

"I thought you'd be upset about this." I watched him close the door and start the car.

"Oh, don't get me wrong. The fact that other men are looking at you like that makes my blood boil. Figuratively speaking of cour..." Edward stopped cold. I followed his gaze to a man sitting on the bus stop.

"What's wrong?"

"The thoughts of that guy... he's thinking about all the horribly depraved things he could do to you." Edward's hands were gripping the steering wheel with such force I was afraid he'd break it.

Suddenly, his eyes shot wide open. "Oh that little pervert!" He looked offended. I had to laugh, specially when he made a disgusted face and whispered, "That's one sick little mind."

I giggled, "Poor guy, he probably has nothing more in his life than his fantasies." Edward shook his head. "He _is_ pretty sick, but I wasn't talking about him anymore. I was talking about that teenager over there. He's done some pretty awful things in his life. And so has that other guy by that tree..."

I frowned. "Let's get out of here, Edward."

He sped off without needing further encouragement.

"Does that happen often?" I asked him.

"You mean, do I run into so many sick men thinking hideous things about my girlfriend? No."

He drove in silence for a few minutes and then turned around to look at me with surprised eyes.

"What?" I asked self-consciously.

"Maybe that's your gift."

"What gift?"

"The trait you bring with you from your other life."

I frowned, "What is my gift?"

"That! Attracting trouble! You used to do a lot of that, remember?"

I stared at him in shock. "Oh that's just great! That's peachy."

Edward took my hand and rubbed his fingers against my palm. "Aww Bella, it's a powerful gift!"

My jaw dropped to the floor. "I thought you of all people would be upset by this!"

"People can't hurt you anymore, Bella. It might come in handy sometime, who knows? I'm not saying I like it. To be honest it bothers me a little, but at least it's something we can handle."

"What do you mean?"

"Not everyone's gifts work to their advantage, Bella." He left it at that and I could tell he didn't want to discuss it any further, so I just sat there and sulked.

"Well I hate it. Why do the rest of you get the cool gifts? Why can't I see the future or read minds? Turn left."

I said that last part out of the blue and for no apparent reason. Edward was surprised. "What?" He asked.

"Turn left!" I took the wheel and forced him to turn. We were going over 100 miles an hour, if Edward hadn't had vampire reflexes, we would've turned the volvo into pudding.

"Bella, what the hell is the matter?" Suddenly, a police officer drove by the street we'd just been if. If I hadn't forced Edward to turn, we would've driven right by him. Edward seemed awestruck. "How weird, there are never cops on this street at this hour."

"No, but the dinner on Oak Street is closed today, we drove by it a few minutes ago. A police officer needs his coffee this early in the morning. He drove by the dinner, saw it was closed and had no choice but to drive up to the 7/11."

Edward was staring at me like I'd grown horns. "Why didn't I hear him coming?"

"You were busy listening to my rant."

"Bella... how did you know all these?"

I shrugged, "Common sense."

Edward's smile was slowly growing. "Well maybe _that _is your gift, common sense."

-----------------------------------------

"What are you talking about? There's nothing common about her sense! Most of the time she makes no sense at all!" Emmett crossed his arms and plopped down on the couch next to Carlisle.

"I'm not really sure that's it. Don't get me wrong. You _were_ an intuitive person, Bella. That probably got intensified after the change. But something tells me there's more to it." Carlisle leaned back on the couch, lost in thought.

"Like what?" Edward asked his father.

"I guess we'll find out, eventually."

"Emmett!" Bella heard Rosalie yelling from somewhere outside.

"Uh oh." Emmett stood up in a flash. "Drove her car. Didn't clean. Got to go."

He dashed out the back door before I could even comprehend his concern. Rosalie materialized next to us wearing an oily but somehow fashionable overall. Strands of her hair had escaped the tight bun on top of her head. They were framing her face in the most beautiful of ways.

She pushed the hair back with the back of her hand, smearing oil on her cheek and not caring in the least. "Where is he?"

Edward pointed at the back door and she flew through it. I just stared after them.

Carlisle chuckled. "Edward, I'm sorry to bring this up but if you're going to visit Bella's father tomorrow, you should have a snack."

Alice came in then, holding several bags in her tiny hands. "You really have to, Edward." She joined the conversation. "I'll look after Bella."

"Do you want to come with me?" He asked me politely, but I knew he really didn't want me to go. He was probably afraid I'd lose control and attack someone if we were too close to town.

"I just had a cow this morning, I'm good." I smiled up at him. He smiled back gratefully. "Would you do something for me?"

"What?" I asked.

"Can you wait in the basement until I come back?"

I rolled my eyes. "Edward, I'm fine."

"The basement is the safest place in the house. Please?"

"Fine." I agreed quickly. The sooner he left the sooner I'd have him all to myself again.

He took me in his arms and kissed my forehead. "I'll take you downstairs."

I walked over to the basement door but stopped dead in my tracks. There was nothing there.

"What the..."

"Look closely, Bella." He guided me over to the wall and took my hand in his. My whole body tingled with sensations as he placed his hand on top of mine and gently guided my fingers over the smooth wall.

I focused hard, scanning every inch, and finally found what I was looking for. A tiny, invisible crack. I stepped back and realized the crack was actually the outline of a rectangle.

"Press the top right corner gently." Edward instructed in my ear.

I did as I was told and gasped when the wall sank backwards a few inches before sliding away. I ended up right in front of the basement door. I pulled it open only to discover a huge iron wall behind it.

I raised my eyebrows, which made Edward chuckle. "Slide your fingers underneath and lift it up."

The wall didn't quite reach the ground, so I hooked my fingers underneath it and prepared myself for the effort it would cost me to lift up an iron wall. It was, of course, light as a feather.

Once I got that open we were finally able to step into the now familiar basement.

"Nice security." I complimented.

"We try."

"I'll stay with you, Bella! We can talk and stuff!" Alice made her way into the room and plopped down on the couch.

"I'll be back in a few hours." Edward whispered. It suddenly hit me. He was leaving. We hadn't been separated in weeks!

He must've seen the despair on my face because he pressed me against his chest, lifting me up a few inches. Had I been human, he surely would've broken some ribs. I wrapped my arms around his neck and inhaled deeply the heavenly scent that irradiated from his body.

"Hurry back." I whispered against his shoulder.

He broke our embrace only to take my face firmly between his hands and press his lips furiously against mine. I returned his forceful kiss with as much passion and need, but it lasted only a second.

"Be safe." He whispered before leaving.

I stood there at the bottom of the staircase staring after him until Alice wrapped her arm around my shoulder. "What do you say we have some fun?"

"What did you have in..." I turned around to face her and stopped. "Alice, what is all this?"

The previously empty room was now full of stuff. I recognized a few boxes and large machines. They'd been in the living room when Edward first took me home after the transformation. I'd forgotten to ask about it.

"Ah just some old stuff. Forged documents, the old things we used to forge them. Some souvenirs and old memories..." She stared longingly at one of the boxes.

"What's in there?" I asked her and she smiled.

"My wedding dress." Her eyes shone bright with emotion, as if she were remembering the greatest day of her life. I wondered if I looked like that every time I thought about Edward.

"So anyway, how about that fun?"

-----------------------------------

I learned one thing that night. Never play scrabble, cards or dominos with someone who can see the future. I had a great strategy, but here's just no way you can beat someone who knows where all the vowels are. She offered to find the Twister, but I decided not to test my balance just yet.

"Well if you don't want to play, what do you want to do?"

I grinned, a plan slowly forming in my mind. "I have an interesting idea."

---

"Bella?" Edward called from outside Alice's bathroom.

"We're in here!" I answered.

"I know you're in there, but what are you doing?"

"Getting ready for tomorrow!"

Edward sighed, clearly aggravated. "May I come in?"

I looked down at myself. My body was completely covered by the bubbles. Only my plastic-wrapped head stayed clear from the water.

"Sure!" I shrugged.

He swung the door open in a blink. His startled expression sent us girls into a fit of giggles.

"What are you doing?" He asked again.

"We're painting her hair black." Alice, who was sitting by the tub, tried to read her brother. "Don't worry, it's not permanent."

"But why are you doing this?" He was confused and, I noticed with surprise, a little upset.

"Charlie might not notice my new, more refined look if there's something more obvious for him to stare at." I explained. "You told me to come up with something, so I did."

Edward's frown slowly turned into a smile. "And it'll definitely come off?"

"In less than a month." Alice answered.

"Well, aren't you the smart girl?" He leaned down and kissed the tip of my nose. I couldn't help myself, I buried my hands in his hair and pulled him to me for a kiss.

"Do you two want some alone time?" Alice's voice broke my trance and I giggled.

"I have a better idea." Edward said before leaning close to my ear. He didn't exactly whisper, it was more like he mouthed the words and I understood them because of the way the air vibrated against my skin.

"I'll wait for you in our bedroom."

I was still shivering after he left.

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I walked into our room wearing a fluffy pink bathrobe that Alice had gotten for me weeks before. He was listening to music, a female vocalist singing a melancholic song. He was on the bed, barefoot and shirtless, and he was waiting for me.

As soon as my wet feet touched the carpet, his arms reached out for me.

"Can I get dressed first?" I asked in a small voice.

His eyes snapped open and he took in my appearance. The bathrobe was long and thick, but I could tell he was surprised to know I wasn't wearing something underneath. He stared at my well-manicured toes, past the floppy fabric and up to my face. His breath caught in his throat.

I'd seen myself in the mirror, I knew why he reacted the way he did. The black hair contrasted magnificently against my white skin. It was as dark as Alice's, only mine was long enough to frame my face and shoulders. I wasn't wearing the contacts that Alice had gotten for me, but the bright red eyes only made me look more... intense, not at all scary like I'd been expecting.

He was standing in front of me before I could even blink. His hand reached out gently to touch my neck, still wet and a little warm from the bath. He pushed the robe slightly away from my collarbone with his fingertips. I stopped breathing not because I wanted to, but because my body refused to function like it was supposed to.

I would've crumpled to the floor from the emotion of the moment if he hadn't handed me a pair of blue pajamas right then. "You change, I'll wait."

He went back to his position on the bed and I somehow regained enough control to make it to the bathroom.

I took a few deep breaths to calm myself while I brushed my teeth and hair. I went through the motions of preparing for bed automatically, not really paying attention to the fact that I could no longer sleep.

I dashed back into the room so fast I had a hard time stopping in front of the bed. Edward was still waiting for me, with his arms wide open and inviting. I snuggled against him and he pulled me close, pressing my face against his chest in a protective manner.

"Bella?" He ran his hands down to my waist, caressing the small of my back with his fingertips.

"Yeah?" I replied shakily.

He flipped me on my back and lifted my shirt up a little to stare at my navel. His cool fingers traced a line from my bellybutton to the waist of my pants and up again. I shivered uncontrollably and he never took his eyes away from my face.

"You are the most beautiful creature to ever walk this earth." He rested his head against my stomach. I ran my fingers through his heavenly hair.

"I guess death becomes me."

"No, my love. You've been this beautiful from the moment you came into this world."

I cupped his cheek and pulled him up gently. He covered my body with his own and leaned down to press his perfect lips against mine.

"Hey guys!" Emmett's voice surprised me so much I pushed Edward away with a little too much force. He flew off me and landed with a thud on the floor next to the bed.

"Oh God! Edward I'm so sorry!" Before I could even finish my apology he was back on the bed, his arms wrapped firmly around me.

"People are going to have to learn how to knock." Edward stared pointedly at his brother who paid no attention at all.

"I just wanted to let you guys know that we're leaving. We're going hunting, all of us, all night. You'll have the house to yourselves. There will be no one around to hear you in case you turn out to be a screamer."

Edward growled deeply. "Shut up, Emmett, before I tell Rosalie all about how you scratched her car."

"I did no such thing!" He crossed his huge arms over his chest. "The paint job is intact!"

"Well, you didn't exactly scratch it from the top now, did you?"

"What?" Rosalie's outraged voice had some sort of Doppler effect as she ran down the stairs and into the garage.

"I thought you guys never had any accidents." I teased.

"Oh, it wasn't an accident." Edward rumpled my nearly dry hair, "Emmett and Jasper were playing flying bumps."

"Flying bumps?" I frowned.

"Yeah. They go over a speed bump as fast as they can and the one who flies the furthest wins."

"Well Jasper won't let me play with my car!" Emmett defended himself. "He says it's too tall!"

"Hey! Leave me out of this!" Jasper's voice sounded loud and clear even though he was downstairs.

Rosalie's enraged roar could be heard all through the house.

"Dude, are you trying to get me killed?" Emmett complained to Edward.

"Well, are you trying to make me mad?"

"No, I was trying to get you laid!"

"Rosalie!" Edward's yell wasn't fast enough to cover Emmett's comment. I couldn't help but giggle at the whole situation, grateful that I could no longer blush.

Alice appeared out of nowhere. She dragged Emmett away with her, yelling over her shoulder. "We won't go too far! Have fun and call if you need anything!"

"Yes mom!" Edward rolled his eyes.

"Hey!" Esme complained.

I laughed and buried my face in Edward's chest once more. I could get used to having a big family.

---------------------------------------

We stayed in bed for hours after everyone left. While he stroked my hair I ran Emmett's words over and over in my head. Was Edward expecting something? Of course he was, we'd waited long enough. But was I ready for it? I knew I wanted it to happen, I just didn't know how to go about it.

"What are you thinking?" Edward interrupted my musings.

"Erm... nothing much." My embarrassed eyes alerted him, and he sat up with a sigh.

"I'm going to kill Emmett." He mumbled under his breath.

"No, Edward. It's not... I mean it is, but I'm not..." I stumbled over my words in an effort to express my worries.

"Bella, listen to me." He pulled me up by the shoulders and took my face between his hands. "We have an eternity to be together. Don't stress over this, don't rush it. When you're ready, you'll know. And I'll be right here waiting for you."

I nodded "I want this to happen, I just..."

He placed a cool finger over my equally cold lips. "Lets take your mind off this."

"What do you suggest?" I asked against his hand.

He gave me one of his boyish grins. "A walk."

-------------------------------

We walked along the creek behind the house, going deep into the forest surrounded by the cold snow and the faint smell of animal blood. After walking for half an hour I was pleased to realize I wasn't tired or bored. Plus, I hadn't fallen once.

Edward squeezed my hand when we reached some rock formations. I looked up into his penetrating stare.

"Can you smell that?" He whispered.

"What?" I panicked for a moment, immediately afraid we'd ran into something dangerous like an unexpected human with a scrape.

"The rain, Bella." He tried not to laugh at my reaction.

"What rain?" I frowned. At that precise moment, the sky opened and buckets of water came crashing down on us.

Edward pulled on my hand. "Let's run back."

Before I could even protest he was guiding me back at a blinding speed. I followed him, matching every step with my own. I saw the trees way before we reached them, turned to avoid them even before he pulled me away. My feet had a mind of their own, they jumped over fallen branches and rocks without any effort from my part.

Faster than I could've thought possible, we were standing in front of the house again, but even the dense forest couldn't keep us dry. By the time we stopped in the clearing of Edward's back yard, we were soaked through.

Instead of running inside, like I'd expected him to, Edward placed his arms around my waist and pulled me to him roughly. He pressed his nose against my hair and inhaled. A purr escaped his gorgeous throat.

"You smell so good in the rain." He growled at me.

"Still?" I looked up at him hopefully.

"More than ever before." He answered, "Only now it's a good thing, and only a good thing."

I had to blink fast to keep the rain out of my eyes, but when I caught sight of his face I froze, unable to do so much as breathe. He was looking down at me, his usually unruly hair clinging to his beautiful forehead. His warm eyes, full of love and devotion, were returning my stare. I looked past his chiseled cheeks to his mouth. Rain ran down his face and accumulated in the space between his perfect lips.

I couldn't help myself, I stood on my toes and gently pressed my lips against his. My tongue darted out to catch the moisture there. He tangled his hands in my hair and pressed me against him, deepening the kiss and pulling me even closer.

We stood there, kissing in the rain, until the storm picked up. When the lightning started he didn't even break our embrace, he just lifted me up by the waist and carried me back inside. I wrapped my legs around his waist, allowing him to take us back to our room.

He sat me down on the bed, but to my immediate disappointment he moved away. I reached out for him, hoping for his arms once more, but he remained at arm's length. He kept his eyes on me while he reached into his drawer for flannel pajamas. He took off his shit, making me breathless at the sight, and then pushed down his pants and replaced them with the pajama bottoms.

Never in all the time I'd been sharing a bed with him had I seen him wear anything remotely like that. He did walk up to me then, lifting me up to stand next to him. I knew what he wanted to do, so I lifted my arms and closed my eyes. He took the hem of my shirt in his hands and pulled the garment off me. I opened my eyes then, he was holding out the shirt that matched the pants he was wearing. I helped him pull it on me but let him button me up. When that was done, he reached for the button of my jeans. I bit my lip and concentrated on my breathing while he pushed the clingy fabric off me in one swift move.

He lifted me up again and laid me down over the covers. Then he walked into the bathroom. I used the few moments of privacy to remove my soaking bra and toss it under the bed. He returned with a hairbrush in his hands.

Edward turned me on my stomach and moved my face to the side so he could brush my hair against the pillow. My body tingled with the sensations that created, from the top of my head down my spine to my toes I shivered from the pleasure.

He noticed, of course, and discarded the brush after a while. He reached underneath me and, without turning me around to face him, unbuttoned the top buttons of the shirt. He then pulled the shirt down, exposing almost my whole back to him. His feather-like touch against the small of my back would've given me a heart attack if I'd been human still.

He caressed me gently, not leaving an inch of my exposed skin untouched. I was in heaven, more than that, I was in Edward's bed. After hours of his careful exploring I regained the ability to speak.

"Edward?"

My voice startled him after so many hours of silence and he froze. "Yes?"

"Don't you think this is all... too easy?"

"We can slow down if you want..."

"No!" I quickly explained. "I don't mean this, I mean... the whole thing."

I couldn't see him frown, but I could feel his hesitation. "Meaning?"

"Meaning sure, I was in pain for three days, we got attacked, we survived. I became a vampire, we came here, I learned to control myself. Everything seems to be going well, I seem strong enough to resist human blood..."

"So what's the problem?" Edward asked.

"Exactly! I just thought this would be... well... harder."

His hands left my back, much to my regret. But I soon forgot about that when I felt his bare chest pressed against my skin while he whispered. "You will have to live forever craving something that you can never have. You will no longer grow. You will not get pregnant or be a mother. You will witness the eventual death of everyone you care about because of your immortality."

"Not everyone." I replied.

The only acknowledgment to my comment was a kiss in the back of my neck. "What I mean is, the hard part will catch up with you eventually. The day will come when you regret becoming what you are now."

"Lucky for me, you'll be right there to remind me of why I did it." I pulled the shirt up so I could turn around to face him. He lingered on top of me, supporting his weight with his arms.

"Lucky for me." He mumbled before kissing me passionately.

"Can I ask you something else?"

"Sure."

"You never answered my question before. What happened when you saw me eating?"

He kissed me right behind my ear and whispered. "When you see me hunt, you'll know."

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We were still kissing gently when the others returned. Edward shifted us, pulling the covers over our bodies before Alice knocked.

"Guys, can I come in?" I knew she knew we weren't doing anything, otherwise she never would've interrupted.

"Sure." Edward answered. The door swung open slowly and she danced right in, plopping down by the foot of the bed.

"Is everything okay?" Edward and I sat up to look into her light eyes.

"Oh yeah, the hunt went great. Lots of big animals. Emmett had a blast with this huge bear. Esme keeps telling him not to play with his food..."

"Alice!" Edward interrupted and looked down at himself. We were completely covered, but we weren't exactly properly dressed.

Alice glanced from her brother wearing pajama bottoms to me wearing the top and laughed. "I'm sorry. I just came here to tell you it's mid afternoon. You might want to get ready for dinner."

I groaned, remembering our plans with my father. Edward stared at Alice for a moment. She gave him an almost imperceptible nod.

"Get ready, Bella. I want to take a drive around town before locking you in with your father for an hour."

I nodded and got out of bed. Alice left the room gracefully while I looked for something to wear.

"Put on something you wouldn't normally wear!" She said.

Edward frowned and I explained. "Extra distraction from my vampire features."

He smiled "Of course."

I took a short brown skirt, a green blouse and a sweater that matched. I dressed in the bathroom by myself. Edward walked in while I was trying to put on my contacts.

"Here." He lifted my chin and squeezed a couple of drops into each eye. The lens slid right in.

"Keep these with you. You're going to need them." He handed me the drops and caressed my strands of black hair while I looked around for the chain that my engagement ring usually rested in. I found it in a jewelry box by the sink.

"So Alice thinks everything is going to be fine tonight?" I asked him.

"You noticed." It wasn't a question.

"Of course." I simply responded.

"Yes, she sees you father safely in bed after our dinner."

It was certainly comforting. I'd been pretty nervous about it up until that point. Alice's certainty relaxed me. Edward took my hand and I looked down at our intertwined fingers. With great regret I took the engagement ring off and looped the silver chain around it. Edward helped me get it on. "The time will come for everyone to see it on your finger" He whispered.

"I know." I hid it underneath my clothes and Edward took my hand.

"Come on." He handed me a pair of high-heeled brown boots that I normally wouldn't even think about wearing. "I don't want us to be late."

----------------------------------------

We drove around town for an hour. Edward carefully watched my every move whenever we drove by houses or stores. I felt the pull, the thirst, the need, but I controlled it.

Edward pulled up my father's driveway, clearly proud of my self-control.

"Bella, breathe as little as possible. If I see things are getting too hard for you I'll pull you away. Now the food, that's going to be a problem. Don't worry, I'll help you get it out later."

I nodded, panic starting to bubble in the surface. He ran the back of his hand over my cold cheek and leaned close. "Stay calm, Bella, and everything will turn out fine."

I nodded again and he kissed me gently before running around the car in the downpour to get my door open.

We huddled together by the door, trying to get away from the rain while I knocked. It felt so weird to do that.

Charlie must've been waiting in the living room for us, because the door opened less than a second later.

"Dad!" I greeted him enthusiastically.

"Bella!" He moved closer to hug me but then did a double take. He took in my appearance, the straight black hair and sophisticated clothes.

"You look... you look really nice!" He did hug me then. I tensed up, holding my breath and getting the now familiar pang of hunger instantly. Edward touched the small of my back, reminding me of his presence.

When the hug was over, I breathed again. "Alice used me as a guinea pig." I rolled my eyes to make it convincing. My dad laughed and ushered us in.

"Why are we standing in the rain? Come in! I have dinner ready!"

Edward shook hands with him. Charlie even managed to look a little happy to see him.

"So," Charlie asked as soon as we were seated, "How was the cruise?"

"Rocky" I smiled pointedly at Edward. "But really good at the end."

"I'm guessing you had fun."

"Tons."

My dad served us fried fish and chips. I got up to help him with the drinks. Once we were all settled he dropped the bomb.

"So, how are you liking this roommate arrangement you two have going on?"

Edward, who had just picked up his fork, coughed. I stared at my father in alarm.

"It's going great, _dad_." I made a face and he shrugged.

"Well, I'm happy for you, sweetie." You could've cut the tension with a knife right then.

To mask my discomfort, I took a bite of my fish. When my teeth made contact with the disgusting piece of so called food the fish dissolved instantly, pulverized in a second. I hadn't been expecting my teeth to be so sharp, so I bit down with the normally required force, which resulted in my teeth sliding past the food and grinding against each other.

It was like nails on a chalkboard multiplied by a million.

"Oh God!" I yelled, pushing my chair back and covering my mouth with my hands.

"Bella?" My dad stood up as well, clearly concerned.

Edward was by my side in an instant, pressing my face to his chest while unpleasant shivers still ran all over my body. "I think she bit her tongue."

I somehow managed to agree with his lie.

"Let me take you to the bathroom so we can take a better look." He guided me out of the kitchen, leaving my distressed father behind.

Once we were locked in the small room I let out a little yelp. "You should've warned me about the biting! The taste I was expecting, but the teeth..."

"Here," Edward opened my mouth and placed one of his fingers in between my teeth. "Bite down on that, it'll take away the nasty sensation."

I bit his rock-hard skin tentatively, relieved when it didn't pulverize like the fish had. It did feel good to bite.

"I'm sorry, Bella." His shoulders shook with laughter. I wasn't ready to open my mouth yet, so I slapped his arm gently, making him laugh even harder.

"Okay, tell your dad you got a nasty cut in your tongue and pretend you can't eat anymore because it burns. In about fifteen minutes fake a headache and I'll get us out of here."

I nodded. He opened the door and removed his finger.

"Edward? How do you do it? How can you swallow normal food?"

He grinned at me "Practice, my love."

------------------------------------

We drove away, waving at my father who was watching us from the door.

"Well, that was interesting." Edward mumbled. Charlie had relaxed a little, but that didn't make the air any less tense in the small kitchen.

"Just tell me how I'm going to get rid of that piece of fish and the absurd amount of water Charlie forced me to swallow." I could feel everything sloshing around inside, a sensation I don't recommend to anyone.

Edward laughed exuberantly but stopped abruptly when something weird happened.

The Volvo sputtered, shook and died.

His eyes widened in alarm. With the momentum we had from his fast driving we made it into a gas station. He frowned, his perfect eyebrows pulled together in concentration. Finally, realization hit him.

"Rosalie, she was messing with my car. I wonder what she did..." He got out and slammed the door shut. I got out too and met him by the hood.

"Go back inside, Bella. There are too many people around." He pointed at the little store behind the pumps. I could smell them, all of them, so I obediently returned to my seat.

He got one look at the engine and closed the hood. I rolled down the window to hear him better. "I need to go inside for a moment. It's nothing major and I'm fairly sure I can find it here. Will you be okay on your own for a minute?"

"Yeah." I nodded. He kissed my forehead and left. I closed the windows and locked the doors.

I stared at his godlike figure while he talked to the bored looking kid behind the counter. He told him they had what he was looking for in the back and the two of them went into the storage room.

I was so concentrated on staring at Edward that I never noticed the dark figure standing next to my window. The sound of knuckles against glass startled me to no end.

I jumped, a hand flew to my throat in surprise. But my fear soon changed into confusion.

"Jacob?" I frowned.

"Bella! Hi!" He motioned enthusiastically for me to roll my window down.

It would've been too rude to say no, so I held my breath and did as he asked.

"Hi there! How have you been? I've been looking for you."

"You have?" My frown deepened, but his smile only widened.

"Yeah! You are one hard girl to track down. I have something for you."

"You do?" I asked wearily.

"Yeah, come with me! It's in my car. Oh, did I tell you I finished my car?"

"Erm... no you didn't, but Edward should be out any minute and we really should get home..."

"Oh come on! That's my car right over there! I swear this will just take a second." He pointed at a small car just on the other side of the road, near the woods.

Jacob sounded too enthusiastic for me to say no, so I reluctantly got out of the car and followed him. He placed his hand on my elbow to guide me towards his car. His skin felt so soft and deliciously warm against my cold arm.

It was such a pleasant feeling that I freaked and snapped my arm away in one blinding move. Jacob froze and so did I. For a few endless seconds we stared at each other. "I'm sorry." He finally broke my eye contact. His skin turned scarlet and I got hit with a wave of thirst.

"No, I'm sorry Jacob. I don't really like to be touched. It was a reflex."

"You have fast reflexes." He mumbled under his breath.

I took a quick breath, just to get enough air in so I could speak. "You know, Jacob, this is really not the best idea... Edward..."

"I just want to give something back to you. I swear it will only take a second." I sighed but kept walking next to him.

"What is it?" I asked a little more harshly than necessary.

"You're not going to believe this, but a couple of days after that car crash I was driving into town and saw something black being blown away by the wind. It got stuck on a tree. I stopped out of curiosity."

We were by his car then. He opened the trunk and retrieved something.

"My rain coat!" I exclaimed.

"I took it to your house, but Charlie told me you were away on vacation and that you no longer live there..."

"Thank you, Jacob. That was nice of you."

"You're welcome." He stared at his feet and kicked a stone around with his toes.

I sensed there was something he wasn't telling me. "What is it, Jacob?" I asked.

"Could I... could I talk to you for a moment?" He looked nervous, fidgety. I'd seen him like that once before, at prom.

"You have another message from Billy." It wasn't a question.

He sighed. "Could we sit down?" He pointed at a fallen tree trunk a few feet away in the woods.

I sat as far away from him as the tree trunk would allow, but I could still smell him. I could still hear his heartbeat and almost see the blood rushing through the veins of his exposed neck.

"So, what was that thing you had to tell me, Jacob?" It was getting hard to concentrate. I knew I had to get away from him soon. No time for small talk.

He stared at me, studying me in detail. I wanted so badly to stop breathing completely but his scrutinizing gaze forced me to act normal. I caught a hint of something that looked like regret in his eyes when he answered.

"I really do like you, Bella." I smiled at him, but really I was just hoping the conversation wouldn't go the way I thought it was going to.

Suddenly, an acid but appealing smell filled my nostrils. I had smelled that once before, in a cow. It was fear.

"I'm sorry, Bella."

I barely had time to frown before I saw the sharp piece of glass in his hand. For a moment I went back to my human ways and covered my face with my arms. It took me a while to remember that he couldn't hurt me, but what really made me take my arms down was the sudden smell of human blood. I looked up in time to see Jacob slashing his throat open.


	11. The Prophecy

**Nightfall**

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**The Prophecy**

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_DISCLAIMER: After reading New Moon by the wonderful Stephenie Meyer I realized I was going to have a hard time writing my story because there are a lot of things that no longer fit, but also a lot of little details (crucial to my story) that resemble New Moon in a lot of ways. After thinking about it for a while I decided that I __will continue this story exactly as it was planned almost five months ago. Nightfall does not contain spoilers to New Moon. Any resemblance to the book's story line is entirely coincidental._

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_"I'm sorry, Bella."_

_I barely had time to frown before I saw the sharp piece of glass in his hand. For a moment I went back to my human ways and covered my face with my arms. It took me a while to remember that he couldn't hurt me, but what really made me take my arms down was the sudden smell of human blood. I looked up in time to see Jacob slashing his throat open._

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I lost myself. The second his scent hit my nostrils I became somebody else. Something else. I threw myself at him, unable to stop and think about what was going on.

The taste of human blood, Jacob's human blood, was overpowering. Never in my life had I felt such a deep and overwhelming pleasure as the one I got from the warm, red liquid as it filled my mouth and traveled down my throat. The taste was wild, so filling, so consuming. I was barely aware of my teeth sinking into his already slashed throat.

Out of nowhere a strong, irresistible force pulled me backwards, away from Jacob's limp body. I heard the growls and the snapping sounds fill the air. It took me a while to realize they were coming from me. Edward was yelling my name, holding me back. In spite of all the love I felt for him, I wanted to hurt him, to cripple him so he'd let me go, so I could get back to that taste.

He dragged me backwards. I kicked and screamed the whole way but the more he pulled me away the easier it became for me to control myself. Finally I couldn't smell Jacob anymore, and reality sank in.

"Oh God." I mumbled.

As soon as he heard me speak coherently, Edward threw me over his back and ran home.

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The whole Cullen clan was standing in the living room when Edward burst in. Alice took one worried look at me and sighed. "I was hoping it hadn't happened yet." She mumbled.

I was trembling, the reality of what I'd done slowly sinking in. My super human mind processed the facts quickly. I drank Jacob's blood, that fact repulsed me and made me loath myself. But he hurt _himself, _why would he do that

He'd known about me, I was sure of it. He'd known and he'd done it on purpose. But what was he trying to do? And why? Did Billy have something to do with it? Would he really sacrifice his son? And for what?

Questions clouded my mind while Edward filled everyone in. I didn't listen to his side of the story, I was busy looking for answers in my head. What I _did_ hear was Rosalie's harsh voice.

"I told you it was a bad idea! I told you she'd bring nothing but trouble to this family!" Rosalie growled in anger.

Edward roared right back at her, then turned to Alice. "Why didn't you see it coming? I could've taken her away! I _should've_ taken her away."

Alice threw her arms in the air. "I don't know! It wasn't supposed to happen like this!"

The shock I'd felt slowly started to ware off. Something else was filling my head now, intense guilt, dread and panic.

"We have to leave, right now before he's found." Carlisle looked about to dash over to his car but Alice stopped him.

"It's too late. They know."

Edward cursed under his breath. "I left the Volvo in the gas station. We'll be linked to this sooner or later."

Rosalie stared at me with such hatred she made me wince. "You just had to go and eat the young son of an elder for supper didn't you?"

I couldn't look at her. I had taken Jacob's blood, just not his life. Somehow, the feelings that consumed me had formed a knot on my throat that prevented me from telling her this.

"That's not how it happened, Rosalie." I managed to mumble through the knot.

Edward ran a hand through his tousled hair in frustration and then pulled me close to him. His strong arms around my body comforted me for a moment. "It doesn't matter how it happened. We've all fallen off the wagon at some point. We just need to get out of here and fast."

I could tell from the tone of his voice that he blamed himself for everything. It broke my heart.

"We had a good thing going here for us you stupid little girl." Rosalie spat out.

"Rosalie that's enough!" Carlisle told her firmly. "Now everyone go pack. I want you all ready to leave in thirty seconds." He yelled out his instructions and everyone ran off to carry them out.

"I'll go check the gas in the cars." I offered and ran to the garage before anyone could object.

I'd never felt something quite like the guilt that weighted me down right then. I had taken a life, an actual human life. My stomach tightened painfully and the panic consumed me so fully I had to stop on the porch and lean on the doorframe for support. I had been a part of Edward's family for less than a month and already I was putting them all in danger. Something wasn't right, Jacob's strange actions made me feel like something bigger than myself had been set in motion and I had the feeling I wouldn't be able to stop it.

I closed my eyes and tried to think about the worst case scenario. The police would probably look for us. No, that wasn't the source of my bad feeling. The Cullens knew how to start over. So what was it then?

I couldn't answer the question, but the irrational fear that I had for Edward's safety continued to press down on me. It came to me then. I knew what I had to do.

When I got to the renovated barn I just kept going. I flew into the woods, running as fast as I could towards Jacob's body.

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I still didn't know exactly what was going on, but there was one thing I _did_ know. Billy was behind the whole thing. He was probably trying to expose me, or maybe he just wanted me and the Cullens as far away from Forks as possible. And yet it seemed like too much, sacrificing a child just to bully us into leaving.

I stopped a few yards away, just enough so the scent of Jacob's blood couldn't reach me if I held my breath. I could hear lots of people already at the scene. The truth of what I had done hadn't fully sunk in yet, so I was able to stand calmly away from everybody to plan my next move. I hid behind a tree. The thin clouds covering the sun shielded me from the rays, but I still hung around the shadows of the forest, waiting for my moment.

I walked closer, careful not to make any noise. I could see cops surrounding Jacob's body. The one camera crew in Forks had already arrived. I spotted Billy sitting in his chair under a tree. Another Quileute elder stood next to him, I remembered the man from my childhood. He was Billy's brother.

The somewhat younger man was trying to comfort his sibling by gently placing a hand on his shoulder. His bright blue eyes contrasted wonderfully with his dark skin and his hair blew in the wind, making him look imposing and wise. One of the cops called his name and he left Billy alone to go answer. The long hair, already tainted with white, flew around his face, making the elder even more magnificent.

I got closer to Billy. He wasn't near the body, which made my job somewhat easier. I placed my cold hand on his shoulder and he stiffened instantly.

"Isabella." He said my name without even turning around to see me.

Staring at the broken man in front of me crumbled my defenses. "I'm so sorry Billy." My voice cracked with pent up emotion. "I still don't fully understand what happened but..."

"I asked you to stay away, Bella. Why didn't you listen to me?" His voice was so full of sorrow it made me shudder with sadness. His eyes were focused on something. Following his gaze I discovered he was staring at his son's body. If I could've cried I would've broken down right then. As it was, my body could only shake with the silent sobs that overtook me.

"Her! She was in the car too!" I heard someone yell from the road. The two cops interviewing the guy who worked at the gas station turned around to stare at me. I guessed they _had_ made the connection with Edward's abandoned car after all.

"Look, Billy." I knelt down next to him, "I will go with you. I'll go quietly. You can do anything you want with me, just leave the Cullens alone."

Billy shook his head sadly. "This isn't about you, Bella. It's not even really about them. You have started a war, one that was announced by our people a long time ago. You fit the description perfectly. You were _meant_ to kill my son."

The two officers were approaching quickly. One of them grabbed my arm and pulled me up. "You need to come with me miss Swan. We need you to answer some questions."

"Billy, I didn't kill him." I didn't resist the officer, I had to be careful with my strength. "He did it himself, Billy!" I yelled while they half dragged me away. His sad eyes were still focused on Jacob, but he looked up suddenly to stare at me. His brother walked up to him and placed a supporting hand on his shoulder. He glared at me and I found myself unable to look away from his penetrating gaze. Then the officer yanked on my arm and the spell was suddenly broken.

I wanted to study Billy's reaction to my words more carefully, but at that moment I saw something that made my heart sink. Chief Swan had arrived.

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"What are you doing with my daughter? Let her go, Hanson!" He barked at the young police officer holding my arm. His demand was so strong that Hanson not only dropped my arm, but he stepped away from me quickly.

"We found the Cullen boy's car abandoned in the gas station." Hanson tried to explain himself.

Charlie glanced at Jacob's body once and flinched with pain. "Bella, do you know anything about this?"

I opened my mouth to speak but for once I couldn't come up with a decent lie, so I just closed it again.

"Did Edward have something to do with this?" Charlie's hands shook, so he shoved them into his jacket pockets.

"No, dad." I shook my head.

He sighed. "Where is he?"

"I don't know."

His next words surprised me. "Take her downtown. I'll interrogate her when I'm done here."

"Dad?" I frowned.

"Keep a close watch on her until I figure this all out."

I sighed. He was afraid Edward _had_ done something to Jacob. But he was even more afraid I'd try to skip town with him.

As we approached the road, leaving the forest behind us, I saw that a small group of camera crews had already arrived at the scene. I wondered where they came from while Hanson escorted me to the car.

I also wondered what I was going to tell everyone. I couldn't escape, not if it meant putting the Cullens at risk. I'd been good at coming up with stories even since I started dating Edward, but this one was going to require some serious imagination.

Something, other than my sudden arrest, was troubling me. What had Billy meant when he said I'd started a war? What did they want? A sacrifice? Well there I was for them to take. I would've done anything to keep Edward and his family safe.

Standing in the shadow of a huge tree I discovered, much to my dismay, that the thin clouds had parted. The sun shone, opaque but clear, on the road. A good 20 feet of sunshine separated me from the squad car. I sighed, resigned. The chief was going to find out about me after all.

I heard him then, well, not him exactly, more like the gush of wind the fast pace of his body left behind. I saw him running towards me, his face determined. He ran faster than I'd ever seen him run before.

_No, Edward stop!_ My mind yelled at him. Did he know he was about to run by a camera at a hundred miles per hour? _Stop Edward! Stop! _I'd stopped walking so I could stare at him. He couldn't read my mind but maybe he'd be able to read my face.

_Stop Edward!_ I was getting desperate and he was getting closer.

_Edward, STOP!_

He froze, his body rigid. He stared at me with wild eyes while he stood, unmoving, in the middle of the road.

His body burst into a million diamonds as the sun hit him. His glowing face started at me with panic.

_What the hell are you doing? Run!_ My mind yelled at him. He moved so fast I almost missed him. He crashed into me, the sound booming all around us. He didn't even stop, he just lifted me in his arms and kept running away from the cops, away from Billy, away from the camera crew.

My superhuman ear allowed me to hear one of the reporters exclaim, "What the _hell_ was that?"

-------------------------------------------

He kept running and didn't stop until we were in the woods close to his house. He placed me gently on the ground, and then started yelling at me.

"Isabella what were you thinking!" His hands shook my shoulders. I stared at him with wide eyes. His face was hard, he was obviously frustrated by my actions.

For a moment I thought he was talking about what I'd been thinking when he froze in the middle of the road, so I answered with a weak, "I don't know..."

"Bella, my god, do you know what you almost did? Do you realize the kind of danger you almost put yourself in!" He shook me again. Apparently he was taking advantage of the fact that I was no longer breakable. The tight hold he had of my shoulders was gentle but firm. He wanted to get his point across, no matter what. Only his point didn't really make sense to me.

"I... what danger?"

"What danger? Bella, what were you going to do? March up to your father and say: "hey dad, I guess I should tell you, I'm a vampire! Watch me glitter!"? We have laws, Bella!" His deep voice rumbled in his chest.

"You're yelling at me because I tried to turn myself in." Realization hit me slowly.

"Of course I'm yelling at you for that! You were about to step into the sun!"

"But _you_ walked right into it! Further more, you stopped right in the middle of it, IN FRONT OF A CAMERA!" I started shaking on my own. He took one look at my trembling body and pulled me close to him, embracing me forcefully.

I buried my face in his chest and tried to stop my tearless sobs. His hands framed my face as he leaned down to kiss me. His lips were hard against mine. It was a desperate kiss. He poured all his worry and frustration into it. I buried my fingers in his hair and pulled him to me, desperate to taste him, to feel some sort of comfort.

He broke the kiss abruptly, pushing me gently away so he could stare into my eyes. "Don't worry about me, Bella. I can take care of myself. I'll handle the exposure. I just want you to be safe okay?"

"What do you mean you can take care of yourself?" I frowned when I heard him sigh.

"We need to keep moving. I'll explain everything to you later." He let go of me and took my hand. He tried to pull me along but I didn't move.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"It was my fault." I replied in a small voice.

"It was your absurd sense of right and wrong, but it wasn't your fault. I should've known better, I should've kept you close to me..."

"No, not that. I mean that too, but that's not what I was talking about."

Edward dropped my hand to frame my face with his long fingers once again. "Bella, what's going on?"

"Why did you stop running? Right in front of that reporter, why did you do it?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. I froze up. It was like I couldn't move."

"Don't you think that's a little weird?" I asked hysterically.

"Bella, we don't have time to think about this right now. We have to get out of here! It was probably fear for your safety! Or your sanity, either way..."

I couldn't hold his gaze. He finally noticed my guilty face and stopped short. "You did it?" He asked in amazement.

"I'm not sure. I was yelling at you in my head for you to stop and..."

"Wait." Edward shushed me with his hand, "Not here. We can talk on the way." He led me deeper into the forest and took my hand. "Run with me, Alice hid your car for us."

"My car?" I immediately thought of my old, red truck. I loved it to death, but the poor thing would never be able to handle Edward's desperate driving.

"Your birthday present, remember?"

We stopped running right in front of my long forgotten Porsche 911.

"Get in." He commanded. For once, I didn't argue.

---------------------------------------

He drove north, that was all I knew. In the darkness of the car I was finally able to think. So many things had happened in the last few hours I felt as if I'd dreamed it all. I retraced my steps slowly, trying to make sense of everything.

I'd gone for a walk with Jacob, we talked, he asked for forgiveness and then killed himself. I remembered the taste of his blood, it was clearer in my mind than anything else. Just the thought of it made my insides churn with hunger. The truth started to sink in then. Jacob Black was dead, and I'd attacked his mangled body like an animal.

I didn't even realize I was shaking until Edward covered my hand with his own. He was staring at me with concern. "You look terrible, Bella. Are you alright?"

"Jake is dead." I whispered.

Edward sighed. "I'm so sorry, Bella." I detected something in his words, some ancient sadness that I'd never heard before. I also sensed guilt, worry, but most of all, regret.

"You're sorry you gave into my pleas and changed me into a vampire." I whispered.

"Yes, there's that. But I'm more sorry for not taking you away like I should have. I just thought we had more time, I thought we'd see it coming."

It was almost as if he were speaking to himself. I analyzed his words carefully. What Alice had said just a few hours ago came to my mind then. _It wasn't supposed to happen like this._

"You knew." It wasn't a question, it was a fact. Edward just kept driving.

"How?" I asked. It took him so long to answer I was almost convinced he wasn't going to. "They had legends. When we first met them, they told us. They didn't want us in their land not because they thought we posed a threat to them, even if they didn't really believe we could restrain ourselves, but because they knew you were coming."

I stared at him, confused and waiting to hear the rest of the story. He continued in a whisper. "They had one legend in particular, a prophecy if you will, about a human girl being turned into a vampire out of love. Something about facing an accidental death and being saved by a cold one who couldn't bear watching her die. That human would start the war between the cold ones and the wolves, they said."

He wasn't making much sense. He must've seen my confused look because he let go of the wheel to caress my cheek. "You've got to understand, what they described is pretty rare. In case of an accident, blood would most likely be spilled. There are not many vampires out there who would be able to resist the bloodlust in order to turn someone. The love would have to be deep, selfless, more powerful than the lust. That's incredibly uncommon, in fact, I've only seen it happen once before you."

"Rosalie and Emmett…" I whispered under my breath.

Edward nodded "Only in their legends it _had_ to be a girl. You fit perfectly."

"If you knew this was going to happen, why didn't you tell me? Was this why you refused to change me for so long?"

He took a deep breath. "The burden of destiny can be pretty heavy. Bella, at first I thought I could protect you! Keep you safe as a human, away from any harm. It soon became clear to me that you'd have no problem getting killed in an accident. Bella, if it ever came down to changing you or losing you," He took my face in his hand again, forcing me to look at him. "I'd change you in an instant. I'm too selfish to watch you die. I would have loved to see you live a long and happy life as a human, but if you were to die at such young age..."

He closed his eyes before continuing, "I thought if you were changed by choice that you wouldn't... I mean you no longer..." I'd never seen him struggle for words like that. "Besides, I guess I never really believed their legends. Who would've thought you'd actually kill an elder's son."

His last words sent me into a shaking fit again. He wrapped his arm around me and pulled me close. "So you see, it's all my fault. I'm so sorry, Bella. I'm disgusted with myself for not being strong enough, for not doing what was best for you. If you want to leave me for not telling you everything, I understand. I see now I shouldn't have kept such a thing from you. I just thought I was looking out for you, giving you a chance at happiness."

"There is only one problem with your story, Edward." I whispered.

"Oh?" He tightened his hold of me.

"I did not kill Jacob Black. He slid his own throat with a sharp glass. Once the blood started flowing, I couldn't hold myself back. Somehow, I think he knew the reaction I'd have to his blood."

He let go of me so fast if I hadn't been a vampire I would've fallen sideways. In a flash, his tiny silver cell phone was at his ear.

"Alice. We were set up."

I looked out the window then, as if some invisible force were pulling my eyes to the side of the road. A huge, wild, furry animal sat a few feet away from the highway. Its sheer size made me cringe with fear. It stared at us as we drove by with its powerful blue eyes.

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_-_

_-_

_Okay guys, this chapter was originally going to be about 30 pages long but I decided to cut it here because this is the turning point for me. From here on the story will be very different, the plot will pick up some speed and everything I've been foreshadowing throughout the story will come to pass. We are… roughly three chapters away from the end._

_I would just like to remind everyone that I planned this story from beginning to end back in April (I think) and I'm going to leave everything exactly as it was originally thought. The only thing I will use from NM will be the Volturi name, because I was originally going to call them something else but it would be stupid of me to do that now. I am now sorry I got rid of Jacob so quickly... but there's really nothing I can do about that now so, on with the story!  
_

_Thank you for being patient with me, I went into a writing crisis after reading New Moon hehe. I'll update much faster now, I swear._


	12. Answers

**Nightfall**

**Answers**

THIS CHAPTER IS RATED STONG T FOR VIOLENCE, SEXUAL SITUATIONS AND MATURE THEMES

(it's nowhere near M so don't get too excited, but either way, you have been warned)

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_He let go of me so fast if I hadn't been a vampire I would've fallen sideways. In a flash, his tiny silver cell phone was at his ear._

_"Alice. We were set up."_

_I looked out the window then, as if some invisible force were pulling my eyes to the side of the road. A huge, wild, furry animal sat a few feet away from the highway. Its sheer size made me cringe with fear. It stared at us as we drove by with its powerful blue eyes._

------------------------------------------------

I could hear Alice yelling over the phone, screaming about the news and the danger and god knows what else. Edward tried to calm her down long enough to speak. After a minute of yelling back and forth Alice told him to go to some hotel.

They got off the phone and Edward slammed his feet on the gas pedal. The forest flew past us in a blur. I kept thinking about the huge beast I'd just seen on the side of the road. "Edward, there was an animal..."

"I know." He answered, but offered no more information. I noticed his clenched jaw and tight hold on the steering wheel and decided to stay quiet until he calmed down.

I tried to order my thoughts. I'd seen those powerful eyes before, more than once now that I thought about it. I'd seen them in the woods near Edward's house a while ago. I'd seen them in the meadow at the end of my transformation. But I'd also seen them recently, just a few minutes before in fact. Not many eyes could have that pull, that kind of gravity.

Realization hit me like lightning. The huge animal had the eyes of Billy Black's brother, the Quilute elder.

"What the hell is going on here?" I shrieked.

"I thought you would've figured it out by now." Edward murmured.

"That was a wolf!"

"Good girl. You're halfway there."

"But... wait, what?" I stuttered. "Are you trying to tell me that beast was actually Billy's brother?"

Edward raised his eyebrows at me. "Yes, that makes sense."

"How does that make any sense?" Nothing made much sense to me.

"Wolves and vampires have been enemies for a long time." Edward offered.

I remembered a conversation I'd had a while ago, with the very person I'd eaten for lunch that afternoon. "The Quilutes turn into wolves?"

Edward nodded once. I raised my eyebrows. "That's like... physically impossible!"

"You are a walking, talking, crystallized, immortal being and you're talking to me about physical impossibilities?" Edward let out a strained laugh.

"But how do they even do it? I mean, where do they keep all the fur?"

Edward turned to stare at me like I was losing my mind and shook his head. "You're focusing on all the wrong things. You see, Bella, those _wolves_ are the only creatures out there capable of hurting a vampire. We had a treaty, one that you broke today when you bit Jacob."

Even thought his gaze wasn't accusing me of anything, I hung my head in shame. "What do they want? Will they follow us? Hunt us down for revenge?"

"You're missing the big picture, my love. They are not the only pack of wolves in the world. They're not even the only one in the country! Any vampire that runs into wolf territory will be hunted. As soon as the word gets out that wolves are on the prowl the vampires will attack. We are quite defensive in nature."

I stared at him, my eyes wide as saucers.

"Bella." He cupped my face with his hand. His eyes were sad, remorseful even. "You have started the war."

-----------------------------------------

Edward guided me up the stairs of a hotel somewhere in Canada without even bothering to ask for the room number. He'd gone off the road to cross the border and he refused to take the elevator. I guessed he was keeping something from me.

He pushed the door of a suite open and dragged me in. Emmett was sitting on a couch with Rosalie. She looked pissed, he seemed weary. Alice was pacing with her eyes closed, her head rolling from side to side. Jasper stood leaning against a wall close to the door with his arms crossed. Esme, sitting on the edge of the bed, looked profoundly worried. Carlisle was staring at the television, even though it wasn't on. He was holding the remote control.

No one moved when we walked in. Esme let out a relieved sigh and Carlisle, his gaze troubled, turned on the T.V.

"... is still unknown. Experts studying this tape believe it was probably a light effect, even though they haven't been able to..."

He switched the channel without a word.

"... is the angel of death! The time has come for the final..."

Switch

"... are coming to get us! Don't let the government tell you lies! The aliens are here!"

Switch

"... will try to contact the spirit again. The troubled soul..."

Carlisle turned it off again. "Lucky for us, no one knows that vampires glitter. Even though I doubt the Volturi will see it that way."

"The what?" I frowned but Alice interrupted before I could get my answer.

"If the Quileutes are really setting us up they might leak the story."

"Can't you tell what their plans are?" Rosalie asked her.

"Do you think we'd be in this mess if I could?" Alice snapped.

"Calm down, girls. This is not the time to lose our tempers." Esme scolded them.

"I'm just saying, something like this must've taken some serious planning. I never saw it coming." Alice shrugged. "I'm guessing you didn't either." She spoke to Edward.

He shook his head. "The boy let me see what he wanted me to see. He must've known about us from the beginning. He set the whole thing in motion."

"Explain." Emmett leaned forward.

"He was the one who told Bella about us. He also told her about the wolves, probably as a warning."

"Too bad she wasn't smart enough to pick that part up." Rosalie mumbled. Edward growled in her direction.

"How did he get you to go with him into the woods?" Carlisle asked me.

"He was returning my jacket. The one I lost the day before my transformation."

"The one that lead the other vampire to you?" Alice asked.

I shrugged "Yeah, I guess."

"So that's how they got around it." Edward smacked his forehead. "The other vampire bit you before you were fully transformed. If you hadn't been halfway into becoming a vampire, you would've been killed. Their legends said you had to be changed because of an accident... I guess that fits, but it's a huge stretch."

"But why would the Quileutes want to set us up like this? Why start a war?" I was on the verge of a freakout. Edward noticed and wrapped his arms around me.

"Vampires kill people, lots of them, on a regular basis. They want to rid the wolrd of vampires, you were just the excuse. Think of this as our kind being terrorists and the wolves being the government."

I opened my mouth and then closed it again. It made sense, too much sense.

"It doesn't matter how it happened or why. We have to deal with the consequences and we have to do so quickly. I have a plan but we'll have to wait until tonight to carry it out. While we're waiting, would you like to explain why you froze in front of a camera on broad daylight?" Carlisle asked. He wasn't scolding Edward, the way an angry father would, he sounded merely curious.

"Well, we think we found Bella's gift." Edward answered.

"That was _your_ doing?" Rosalie shrieked.

"Rosalie, please. Bella, would you explain?"

Everyone stared at me, which made it hard for me to be coherent. "Hum... well... Edward was running towards me, he was about to fly past the camera. I wanted him to stop so badly and then all of a sudden... he did."

Everyone was silent for the longest time. Finally Carlisle spoke.

"Emmett, please stand up."

Edward's burly brother jumped off the couch gracefully.

"Bella, try to make him sit."

"I don't exactly know how to control this." I protested.

"Just try, please."

I couldn't say no to Carlisle. Edward gave my hand a gentle squeeze and then let go of me. I tried to concentrate, thinking to myself _sit Emmet. Sit down. Sit. _Nothing happened.

"Maybe if you said it out loud." Carlisle suggested.

I nodded. "Emmett, sit."

"Great, what am I? A poodle?" Emmet folded his arms but remained standing.

"Why isn't it working?" I frowned.

"Well, maybe that's not how your gift works. Or maybe you're not trying the right way. Bella, do you really want Emmett to sit?" Carlisle asked.

"Well, if he wants to, then sure." I fidgeted.

"That's your problem right there. Bella, you have to want him to do what you say, regardless of what _he _wants. That's probably why we hadn't seen your gift before, you don't like forcing people's hand."

I sighed. "How do I make myself want to sit him down?"

Carlisle leaned against the window. "That, I don't know. Try once more."

I nodded and closed my eyes. I could tell everyone was waiting for something to happen.

_Sit down Emmett. Sit on that couch. Sit! _I repeated over and over.

"Visualize it." Edward's deep voice breathed in my ear.

I squeezed my eyes shut and concentrated on picturing him already sitting. _Sit, Emmett. Damn it, SIT!_

I opened my eyes in time to see him drop on the couch with such force it sent him and Rosalie flying backwards. They both jumped to their feet before the couch even hit the ground and immediately turned to stare at me.

Edward was beaming proudly, Alice's jaw was on the floor. Even Jasper looked excited. But when my eyes met Carlisle's, my face fell.

He was staring at me, just like everyone else, only his eyes were grave with worry. "My God, Bella. You can control people."

"Apparently so." I answered, still confused by his reaction. "Is that a bad thing?"

"No one, that I know of, has ever had that gift. There are some that can control your feelings like Jasper or some that can talk you into doing things, like Jonathan, but physical actions? Never."

"There's a first time for everything, I guess. Don't worry, I don't think I'll use it much."

"That's not what worries me."

Suddenly Edward's eyes shot wide open. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me against his body in a very protective manner, even though there was nothing that could hurt me.

"Bella, some vampires would kill to have that power. Others would kill the one who has it. The Volturi will most likely go with the second option."

I froze in Edward's arms. Even though the Volturi name meant nothing to me, I figured it wasn't something to be taken lightly. "Why would they want that?"

"Imagine being a very old, very powerful vampire and discovering that there is a girl out there who can make you do _anything_ she wants. They might try to talk you into joining them, but I'm not sure. Your gift is too powerful, if you turned against them..."

Edward roared. "I'd rather die than watch them take her!"

"Well thanks to her, you probably will. Lets not forget, they're looking for you." Rosalie, who was perched on the couch again, froze me with her stare.

"Why are they looking for you? And who the hell are _they_?" I asked in a small voice.

"The Volturi are the most powerful family of our kind. They're the oldest, that we know of, and they all live together. You've seen them, the heads of the family. The three 'brothers'." Edward explained.

"The painting in Carlisle's study." I remembered. Edward just nodded.

"You see, Bella, we have rules -laws, if you will- that we're forced to follow." Carlisle went to sit by Esme.

"There are only three. The first one is that we're not to intrude in other vampire's territory. A lot of fights result from this law being broken. The second one is never to kill or put one of your kind in harm's way unless they've broken one of the rules. Now there's something you've got to understand here. The Volturi don't usually enforce these two laws. To be quite honest, they don't care. They only made them to protect their family."

"So what's the third law?" I asked.

"The third one is the only one they'll do anything to enforce. It's quite simple, really."

I understood then. Fear washed over me as I whispered. "Stay hidden."

Carlisle nodded. "Never, ever expose what we are to the humans. Edward not only broke that one, but they have it on tape."

"Not to mention he'll also be blamed for the war with the werewolves." Rosalie snapped.

I felt my world crumbling. I'd done this. I'd forced Edward to put himself in mortal danger to save _me._

"I think she's having a panic attack." Alice rushed over to my side. Edward was already there, holding me steady. "Bella? Calm down! It's going to be fine." He tried to soothe me. I was glad hyperventilation could no longer hurt me.

"Jasper." Edward asked for him. I saw Alice's husband approaching me with his hand outstretched. At first I considered fighting the wave of calmness that he was about to shoot through my body, but then I realized I had to stay calm so I could think things through and come up with a plan.

I welcomed his touch on my shoulder, but no one expected what happened next. A calmness so profound it was almost lethargy slammed into us, all of us. Alice and Edward staggered backwards, dropping to the floor looking dazzled and confused. I crumbled next to them, feeling like I'd just been twirled around in the air for an hour.

Jasper pulled his hand back instantly and everything went back to normal. Edward, Alice and I picked ourselves up from the floor. Carlisle and Esme, who had slumped down on the bed, jumped to their feet too.

Jasper stared at his hand and then at me. "What the hell was that?"

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"Jasper, what did you do?" Esme shook her head, probably trying to clear it.

"I didn't do anything different! I tried to calm Bella down and then... I don't know, I felt utterly out of control. It was as if my abilities had a life of their own!" Alice ran to him, placing her hand on his arm to comfort him.

"Maybe Bella can't be affected the way she used to." She offered as an explanation.

"Try to see something about me, Alice." My voice shook when I asked.

She closed her eyes and concentrated, then shook her head. "It's all normal. Exactly the same as before."

"Maybe it wasn't me, I think I felt the same way you all did." I must've sounded worried, because Edward wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close.

"I guess only time will tell." Carlisle commented. He was lost in thought, clearly trying to figure it all out.

Edward glanced down at me and bit his lip. He looked so adorable it mesmerized me. "You need to rest." He whispered to me.

"Of course I don't." I protested. It was a ridiculous thing for him to even suggest.

"I don't mean physically, I mean emotionally. You've had too many surprises for one day. You need time to digest the information before some other unexplainable event occurs."

Carlisle nodded in Edward's direction and tossed him a key. "The sun is about to rise. We'll meet back here after twilight."

Edward nodded and placed his hand on the small of my back, guiding me to the door and down the hall to a separate room.

I staggered in, trying to make sense of everything I'd learned in one day. It was so much it didn't feel real. I was almost sure I'd end up waking up in my bed at Charlie's any second.

Edward closed the door behind us and placed the key on the coffee table. I could see a few pink rays of light leaking through the gap of the curtains. I stood by the window, pulling the shades back slightly to glance outside. A ray of sunlight reflected off my cold skin and bounced away in every direction. Edward wrapped his arms around me and pulled me away from the window gently.

"You can take a shower if you want. It might do you good to get cleaned up."

For the first time since the whole mess started I looked down at myself. I gasped, I was wearing the skirt and booths Alice had dressed me in the day before. My knees were caked with dirt, the skirt was so wrinkled it rode up to expose my thighs. The most shocking was my shirt, though. It had dry splotches of blood all over. My hands were black with mud and my nails looked as if I'd been dragged around the forest floor.

"Yeah, I think a shower would be good." I nodded. Edward laid down on the bed while I turned the water on.

I turned it as hot as it could go. The scalding hot water felt good against my perpetually cold skin. I allowed the steam to relax me a little before washing my dirty hair with hotel shampoo. When I felt clean again I turned the water off and wrapped myself in a fluffy white towel.

Edward was still on the bed when I left the bathroom. He was staring at the ceiling, lost in thought. He caught me staring at him with worry and turned on the TV just so he could have something to look at. I dropped my messy clothes on a chair and glanced around for my bag. It wasn't there, so I settled for the next best thing.

I sat down on the bed next to him and started unbuttoning his shirt. His eyes were glued to the TV, the news were on. He sat up so I could take his shirt, kissing my wrist gently when I reached over him to tug the fabric away from his body, and then laid back down while I went into the bathroom to change.

When I finished buttoning up the shirt I joined him again. The woman on screen was talking about several people who'd gone missing in Washington after the mysterious death of a teenage boy. Apparently vampires were already looking for us, and they were getting some takeout while they were at it.

"How bad is it?" My voice trembled slightly.

"I'll manage." Was his answer, which didn't convince me at all.

"Who exactly is looking for us?" I sat down on the edge of the bed.

"I told you, the Volturi are looking for _me._" He answered.

I crawled over to him and framed his face with my hands, forcing his eyes away from the television. "Don't lie to me, Edward."

He sighed, then sat up. "I don't want you to worry, but I'm going to tell you so you can understand what I have to do next."

His tone scared me. I sat up a little straighter.

"The truth is, Bella, every vampire out there is looking for me. Well, maybe not every single one, but most of them."

I froze. Fear consumed me as I asked. "Why? Because you broke some law?"

Edward shook his head "Because of the reward."

"What reward?"

"My head has a price now. I broke the most important rule in the most obvious of ways. My guess is, anyone who takes me back to the Volturi, dead or alive, will earn a place in the family."

Panic, despair, dread and doubt all spread over me like a cancer. But something he said before terrified me even more than what I'd just learned.

"Why are you telling me this?" I whispered.

He closed his eyes. Pain masked his face for a brief second before he pulled himself together. When he looked at me again, his eyes were cold. "Because I have to leave you."

Five words and my world crumbled. And the fear meant nothing, and the guilt meant nothing and all I could think about was how easily I had given up the option of killing myself when I became a vampire. Before I could fully process, before I could even start to panic, determination took over.

"No." I wasn't begging, I was simply stating a fact.

"Bella, I have to. It's too dangerous..."

"No. If you leave us you'll get killed in no time. At least if we stick together we have a fighting chance."

"I won't put you at risk like that. If they kill me at least I'll know you're safe."

"No." I said again, a little louder this time. I backed off the bed, getting away from him so his smothering gaze couldn't waver my resolve.

"Bella..."

"No. No I will not let you get yourself killed."

His perfect brow wrinkled. "I am not asking for your permission, Bella. I am keeping you safe no matter what."

I crossed my arms over my chest stubbornly and then dropped the bomb. "If you leave me, I'll go to the Volturi and tell them it was my fault."

He was standing in front of me before I could even blink. "Isabella don't you dare. They will not care either way, it's me they have on tape. If you go to them, they'll think you're doing it to keep me safe and they'll let you go."

"I will _make_ them believe me." I stared into his eyes, forcing him to remember my new found gift.

He took me roughly by the arm, shaking me slightly. "Isabella, why are you doing this?"

"Because I love you too much to exist without you."

He grabbed both of my arms, fury written all over his face, and then he kissed me.

His lips pressed roughly against mine. I pressed back, needing to feel him close to me. He let go of my arms and took my waist, pulling me to him. I tangled my fingers in his hair, holding him closer.

He was rough, desperate, more than he'd even been before. He lifted me into his arms and then threw me on the bed, covering my body with his own. I welcomed the feel of his hard muscles against mine. He captured my lower lip between his teeth and bit down gently. I closed my eyes and let out a shaky breath. He kissed the side of my mouth and then nipped his way down to my throat. My breathing accelerated, I clutched his bare back to me. A sigh escaped my lips and I murmured his name.

Everything stopped suddenly. I could still feel his body over mine, but his lips were no longer against my skin. I opened my eyes and found his face inches away from my own, crumpled in pain.

"Edward?" I whispered.

"I can't... I can't lose you, Bella." He was shaking. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him down, hugging him close.

"You're not going to lose me. We'll find a way to get through this."

His panicked breathing slowed down gradually. He pressed his forehead against mine, intoxicating me with his sweet breath. "I swear to you, Bella, I will not let them touch you."

"I know." I whispered back. "I believe you. I trust you."

I felt a growl deep in his chest as he covered my mouth with his own once again. Our hands danced together, touching every inch of exposed skin they could find. I felt his smooth touch against my bare tights and shivered.

As we kissed I forgot all about our troubles. It was a perfect moment where only the two of us existed. I needed this. I craved the feeling of his body, the touch of his skin. His caresses helped me forget the past twenty four hours of our hectic lives.

His gentle fingers traced my collarbone, making me gasp from the sensation. I felt him reach for the top button of my shirt. I bit my lip, placing my hand over his to encourage his movements.

His eyes met mine. They were dark with passion and need, but he still managed to look doubtful.

"Bella... this is not how I imagined we'd..."

I silenced him by placing my cold finger against his lips. Trying hard to keep a steady voice, I whispered. "We might never get another chance."

He stared into my soul and discovered how much I needed him right then. Without another word, he met my waiting lips with his own once again.

As he removed the rest of our clothes I was pleased to discover I felt no embarrassment as I thought I would. Many months of being careful and dancing around each other exploded into perfection that night. While the day moved on all I could think of was how lucky I was to have found my soulmate, even if we were only meant to be together for a fleeting moment.

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His hard chest rose and fell with every breath he took. I had my ear over his unbeating heart, and his fingers played with the strands of my hair that covered his body.

"Bella?" He broke the silence with a determined tone.

"Hmh?" I murmured.

"I need you to promise me something."

"Anything." I whispered lazily against his skin, turning my head to gently kiss his side.

"I need you to swear to me that, no matter what happens, you will never use your gift in front of the Volturi."

I sat up, hugging the bed sheet to my chest. "What?"

"You have to promise me." He sat too, his eyes glowed with the strength of his words. "They can never _ever_ find out."

"Edward..."

"Promise me!" He took my chin in his hand when I tried to look away. "No matter what, Bella. Swear to me they'll never find out."

"I promise." I whispered. My mind was clouded by fear as I thought of the reason behind his request.

"No matter what." His whisper shook me to the core.

"I swear." I repeated.

He sighed in relief, apparently convinced of the truth behind my promise. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me against his chest. We laid back down, and I hugged him closer to me.

"I wish we could just stay here forever." I whispered.

He kissed the top of my head and, with great regret, said, "It's twilight. We should get dressed."

"I need to go get my bag."

Edward shook his head. "Open the door." I frowned and got up, taking the sheet with me. When I opened the door, the paper bag that had been leaning against it fell forward.

I took it back to the bed and looked inside. My fingers grazed the uneven texture of fishnet stockings. "Edward, what's this?" I asked as I raised an impossibly short black skirt to his face.

He made a face when he answered "Our evening wear."

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I tugged my skirt down and my shirt up with no success. I still had more uncovered skin than I'd ever dared to have before in public. Even my bathing suits must've had more fabric than that.

Edward looked down at me and smiled mockingly. I made a face, so he threw an arm around my shoulder to comfort me.

"Don't move her!" Alice, who was kneeling in front of me in the wide limousine, shrieked.

"Or what? You'll poke her eye out?" Rosalie rolled her eyes.

"I'll smudge." Alice growled and kept fussing over me with the black eyeliner. She leaned closer to me, nudging my knees apart. The black leather skirt I was wearing over my fishnets rode up almost to my waist. Edward shot a warning glare at Emmett's wandering eyes. He looked away instantly, concentrating instead on his equally scandalous wife.

"Could someone please explain to me why we're dressed like this?" I looked down at my tiny strapless top, held together by thin straps that crossed over my back.

"We're going to see the only vampire who's ever defied the secrecy rule and still lives to tell the tale." Carlisle explained. "He's... one of the most peculiar vampires I've ever met."

"Why?" I frowned.

"Well, for one he was "born" with a special gift... one that most of our kind would consider a defect."

I leaned forward, causing Alice to gasp and run a finger under my ruined mascara.

"His venom is innocuous"

I raised my eyebrows in surprise. Alice gave up, throwing her hands in the air, and went to sit by Jasper.

"So he can bite people and not turn them? ... So what? The venom is not the dangerous part of this."

"Oh but it was for Edward and you when you were still human, wasn't it?" Carlisle smiled.

"Are you trying to tell me he has a human mate?" I smiled at the impossibility. I thought we'd been the only ones.

"No, not one. He is a very curious creature. He has the ability of getting anyone to tell him anything. He likes knowledge. He likes the little, mundane details. That's why he loves humans, they keep him entertained. He's trained himself to... not kill."

I twisted the fake blue strands of hair Alice had gotten me into around my fingers. He certainly sounded interesting.

"Bella, when we get there we're going to rely heavily on your gift to get us in." Edward took my hand. I looked up at his heavenly face, the purple bruises around his eyes were darkened with eyeliner. Even the fake piercings on his eyebrow and lip looked incredible on him.

"What do you mean?"

"We're about to walk into a crowd. We can't be noticed." He stared pointedly at me and I nodded. "Jasper will help you as much as he can, but he can only do so much."

Edward caressed my bare shoulders gently. I looked down at my high heels and hoped being a vampire would help me walk in them. "Help me practice."

Alice, who was sitting in front of me, unhooked her sleeves from her fingers and held up her hands. I concentrated on forcing her fingers down, one by one.

"We're here." Carlisle, looking like a 20 year old with his hair up in spikes and his black, ripped pants, helped an equally young looking Esme out of the limo. It had surprised me, seeing Esme in tiny black shorts and a black, ripped up tank top that fell past her shoulders. The makeup, the braids in her hair and the nose-ring made her look like a rebellious teenager. I was so used to her motherly role I sometimes forgot she was physically in her early twenties.

Jasper and Alice went next. They looked beautiful and dangerous beyond belief. As soon as Jasper glanced at the crowd lined up in front of the trendy club, the roar went down a notch and everyone seemed to be suddenly tired and distracted.

The bouncer glanced our way curiously. We had, after all, arrived in a limousine and were planning on skipping the line. Every single member of our family was so unbelievably beautiful the guy would never dream of stopping us.

The chain was already off by the time Carlisle and Esme walked past him. I glanced nervously around, panic overcoming me quickly. There were too many people here, any one of them could recognize Edward.

"Are you ready?" He held his and out for me. I nodded. I had to be ready, there was no time for doubts.

He helped me out and guided me to the door while I concentrated with my eyes closed.

_Do not look at us. Look down. _I ordered the bouncer with my mind.

Edward helped me down a staircase. He sighed in relief, so I opened my eyes. We were inside, unharmed and unrecognized. So far so good.

I heard Emmett groaning behind me. Apparently he wasn't really into the whole goth scene. "What's the theme of this party? Syphilis?" He stared at the group of latex covered people grinding against each other in the dance floor.

My giggles were suddenly interrupted when the smell of the crowd hit me. The place was packed. Sweaty, moving bodies filled up every inch of available space. Edward dragged me along behind him, parting the crowd for me. That didn't keep my stomach from clenching or my mouth from watering. I stopped breathing, the smell was almost unbearable. Edward tightened his hold on me and pulled me closer. I tried to focus on something else, anything else. "You never told me what this guy did to break the law."

Carlisle had approached a human girl that seemed to be wearing even less than us. "We are here to see Lestat."

My eyes shot up to meet Edward's and he nodded. I frowned "But I thought the interview was given by..."

"Yes well, he's not completely suicidal." Edward mumbled under his breath but I could hear him perfectly over the loud thumping music.

"Why are we going to see him?" I questioned.

"He traffics information. That's how he stays alive. Well... that, and the fact that he was part of the Volturi guard at some point. Aro finds him fascinating. When the story first came out he defended himself by saying that he was merely reinforcing the false ideas that people have of us."

"Take the stairs up. First door on the right." The girl who'd been guiding us spoke in a normal voice, which confused me. No human would ever be able to hear her in that place.

Carlisle led the way. He opened the heavy wooden door and pushed aside the black drapes in front of him. The sight revealed made me gasp.

A young man in his early twenties sat on a chair. His long black hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail. His features, so beautiful it hurt to watch, were twisted in pleasure. In his lap sat a blond human girl in her underwear. But that wasn't what scandalized me, it was the fact that he was drinking from her wrist.

The animal in me recognized the smell instantly. I moved towards them against my will. Powerful arms held me back and Edward's hand, clamped over my mouth and lips, helped lessen the urge but not the hunger.

"Ah! Carlisle! It's been too long!" Lestat's velvety voice was not loud enough to deafen the roar in my ears that the hunger caused.

"Get her out of here." Edward stared at the blond, who seemed perfectly comfortable with having someone sucking blood out of her wrist.

Lestat glanced at me once and nodded. The girl stood, but the black haired vampire caught her hand before she could leave. He took a crystal glass from the expensive looking table next to him and pulled the girl's wrist up to his lips again. With his teeth, he opened a small would on her arm. The cut bled into the cup.

My eyes went wild with thirst. It took both Edward and Emmett to hold me back. Somewhere in my mind I registered the fact that Jasper had left the room.

"Enough!" Carlisle raised his voice. Lestat looked up at him in surprise and waved the girl away. She left with a smile on her face, nursing her bleeding arm.

"Carlisle, my friend. I don't believe I had ever heard you raise your voice." He smiled and placed the cup on the table.

"I can not stand to see my family get hurt or ridiculed." Carlisle answered protectively.

"The girl is a new vampire. It's not ridiculous for her to have this urges. It's not something to be ashamed of."

Cold blood didn't have nearly the same effect on me as a beating heart, so I stopped struggling against the powerful arms. Emmett moved away, but Edward kept an arm around me just in case. His chest rumbled with slow growls.

"I admire you, Edward. To love a human that way... and to wait so long before turning her... I heard she smelled quite appetizing."

Edward growled again, even though the stranger could not harm me.

"I admire you too... Bella, I presume." My eyes widened when he mentioned my name. "To restrain yourself, so early in the game. It's not an easy task."

He walked back to the table, took the blood-filled glass in his hands, and placed it on the low coffee table right in front of me. "I don't hurt the humans, I only take what they give me willingly. Don't be repulsed by this blood, it's a gift."

I stared at the red liquid, my eyes still burned with the thirst. Edward let go of me, letting me move forward to take the glass. He knew the intensity of the thirst. He knew how much I needed that drink.

I walked up to the table and took a deep breath. The bloody scent nearly drove me into a frenzy. I clenched my jaw and stared at Lestat. Without taking my eyes off him, I kicked the glass. It shattered on the floor, scattering blood everywhere. Lestat sighed.

"What do you do to this kids, Carlisle? You make them so irrational."

I could see Edward's parents were trying hard not to look smug. Edward didn't even try to hide it. He pulled me back against him and kissed my forehead.

"Can we get down to business please?" Rosalie's impatient voice startled us all.

"Yes, certainly, I assume you're here because of the videotape." Lestat sat down again.

"Among other things." Carlisle nodded.

The long haired vampire smiled. "Take a seat, my old friends, we have much to talk about."

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I still didn't understand how talking to Lestat was going to help us, but I sat down on Edward's lap and kept my mouth shut while he talked.

"I'm afraid I don't have good news for you. The guard is moving out, the Volturi plan to take matters into their own hands."

"We knew that much." Alice commented.

"Ah, of course, Alice." Lestat nodded. "An old friend of yours stopped by a while ago. Laurent told me about Carlisle's exceptional family. I'd heard about you before, of course, a family as large as yours is rather difficult to hide, but he gave me some useful details."

Lestat nodded in my direction. "It was hard for me to believe that your boy could love a human girl so much. I can see now that Laurent was right."

Edward tightened his hold of me. Something wasn't quite right, I could feel it.

"So!" Lestat sat up straight and smiled. "I'm guessing you want to know where they're looking for you and how many happen to be out there. This is a tricky one, Carlisle."

Emmett leaned forward. "We need to know what we're up against."

Lestat nodded "I can tell you the gifts of everyone who is currently in the guard, but information comes with a price."

"What price?" Edward asked.

The black haired vampire turned his burgundy eyes on me "I want to know what her gift is."

Everyone fell quiet at that. Edward's arm around my waist tightened so much that, had I not been a vampire, he would've snapped me like a twig.

"You would trade the secrets of the whole guard for one of our own?" Carlisle asked.

"Yes, I'm simply curious."

"No." Edward stated. "Ask for something else, that is just out of the question."

Lestat's eyes brightened with delight "It's that good eh? I wish I could make her tell me, but I can only extract information concerning the person I'm forcing it out of and I'm guessing my gift works as little on her as yours do."

Edward tried not to register any surprise on his face with little success "How do you know about her immunity?"

Lestat rolled his eyes. "I traffic information for a living young man. There is little in this world I do not know about."

It hit me then, that off feeling I'd been having. Lestat knew things about us that no one else did, not even Laurent. I bit my lip trying to figure out who else knew about us.

"Well I'm sorry, but that's one piece of information that we refuse to bargain with."

"Then I'm sorry too." Lestat looked truly sorry when he pointed at the door. "Please let yourselves out. If you refuse to pay the price then I can not help you."

Edward got up, pulling me with him. The rest of the family followed him.

"I should tell you, though, your friends in Alaska were killed last night."

"What?" Carlisle whispered.

Lestat shrugged "The guard went there looking for you. They refused to tell them anything. Eventually someone cracked and told them where you were staying and that you were planning on going up to meet them. The Volturi killed them all after that. So, I'd stay away from Alaska if I were you."

Carlisle was shaking, and Esme ran to his side. I thought Edward was shaking too, but soon realized the tremors were coming from me. I didn't believe it at first, but then I finally remembered, the VanBeaullens were the only ones who knew about my immunity to Edward's gift.

A whole family was dead, not to mention all the missing people in Washington, and it was all because of me and my stupidity.

Edward pressed me against his chest and guided me out the door without another glance in Lestat's direction, but the vampire's voice stopped us once again.

"Carlisle! I think very highly of you and for that I'm going to give you a small piece of free advice."

"What's that?" Carlisle's jaw was clenched. I had never seen him look so upset.

"Stay away from the little guy. You'll know what I mean when the time comes."

Edward pulled me out and guided me through the crowd. Tearless sobs were still shaking me like a leaf.

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As soon as we were outside Carlisle lead the way to the parking lot. He turned around quickly to toss small silver cell phones to Edward, Emmett and Jasper. Everyone took off in a different direction. Before I knew what was going on Edward had dragged me towards a black BMW.

"Edward, what's going on?" I could see Jasper behind the wheel of some other fancy looking car and Rosalie close behind, shifting an Audi to first gear, with Emmett next to her. Carlisle and Esme were already on their way out of the parking lot.

"Get in." Edward had gotten the door open. He picked me up, sat me down on the passenger's seat and bent down to hot-wire the car.

"Okay I don't know much about running away, but won't someone notice if four cars are stolen from Lestat's club? That's like leaving a sign that says "The Cullens were here."

"Bella, at this point there's not much we can do to stay hidden. They already know where we are. We need to get away from here as fast as possible."

He was driving so fast even the BMW''s engine complained loudly. I stared down at my hands and tried to order my thoughts. So many things had happened in the last 48 hours, each one worse than the next. Except for those precious moments I'd had with Edward back at the hotel.

I looked up at my safe harbor. Edward felt my gaze and turned to face me. His hand reached out to cup my face and I leaned against him for support.

"Bella," he pulled me against his side. I sighed and buried my face against his granite neck, "none of this is your fault. Don't you dare blame yourself."

"But how can I not? Seriously, how can I? The VanBeaullens are dead, Edward." I sighed knowing that if I could've cried real tears his shirt would've been soaked by then.

Edward gritted his teeth, even he didn't have anything comforting to say to me after that. After a long pause he pushed me gently away from him only to lift my chin with his index finger. I stared into his golden eyes and closed my violet ones when his lips descended upon my own. He captured me in a deep kiss, my mourning body giving him full access to my mouth.

I let out a shaky breath against him and he stiffened.

"Wha..."

Edward threw himself at me, forgetting all about the steering wheel. As I flew backwards, confused as hell, I saw the immense animal jumping in front of our car.

The beast landed on the hood with such force it sent the car flying in the air. I cringed against Edward's chest, so scared that I couldn't even conjure up a descent scream.

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_It took me forever! I know! I'm so sorry! Life kinda took over for a few months…_

_Anyway, if you're confused about the VanBeaullens go back to chapter two. When I started writing this I knew nothing of the Denali clan or the sisters, so I made up my own family from Alaska. They are relevant to the story, so I suggest you brush up a little ;)_

_Anyway, I am VERY sorry for the delay, I'll try to write a lot faster. I know not much happened here… this was one of those chapters that sort of set the table if you know what I mean._

_Well I hope you enjoyed it. I'll post the next chapter ASAP. Thanks for sticking with me kids, I'll try not to disappoint ;)_


	13. Fight or Flight

Nightfall

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FIGHT OR FLIGHT

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_I let out a shaky breath against him and he stiffened._

_"Wha..."_

_Edward threw himself at me, forgetting all about the steering wheel. As I flew backwards, confused as hell, I saw the immense animal jumping in front of our car._

_The beast landed on the hood with such force it sent the car flying in the air. I cringed against Edward's chest, so scared that I couldn't even conjure up a descent scream._

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The car landed on its back, bounced twice and then crashed loudly against a tree before finally settling, rubber side up. Edward stared down at me, his amber eyes alarmed and weary. He gave me a onceover, checking for injuries. An old habit, I guess. My shirt was ripped from the bottom and I had lost my shoes at some point, but other than that I was perfectly fine.

"Edward, what..."

"Stay in the car!" He barked and then crawled his way out the side window. I saw his legs as he stood up, and then I saw nothing. I frowned, he wasn't running, my vampire eyes would've seen him take off, so where...

My question was answered with a loud crash over my head and a deep growl. I screamed, cowering against the door. The windows had exploded on impact, so I could hear the battle going on right outside. I tried to locate the silver cell phone, but there were too many pieces of glass. Too big a mess.

Then I heard it, a sickening thud and the creaking that could only mean a tree had been knocked over. But the sound that made me race out of the car was the terrifying moan emanating from Edward's chest.

I crawled out, the cell phone instantly forgotten. The wolf had Edward against the fallen tree, his jaw clenched around my lover's middle. I screamed and launched myself at the beast.

"Bella! Stay back!" Edward yelled before I could reach them and with great effort, he lifted his foot and kicked the animal away from him. The beast stood there for a moment, growling at Edward, but it suddenly froze and then turned around to stare at me. Its eyes widened, as if it could recognize me, and then it launched itself in my direction.

It happened so fast I didn't even have time to fear for my life. Edward threw himself on top of the wolf and did something I'd never seen him do before. He bit it, tearing the beast's neck with his razor sharp teeth.

The wolf fell on its side, blood spilling all over the place. Edward didn't drink the blood, like I expected him to, instead he left the animal on the ground, stood up and spat before kicking the wolf's neck and snapping it in two. It was then that I smelled the hot liquid. It smelled weird, like sour milk almost.

I stared at the immense animal as it slowly started to shrink, turning back into a russet skinned, naked young man. My eyes were still transfixed on the man when Edward reached me. He pressed my face against his chest and sighed. "I'm sorry Bella, I'm so sorry" He whispered over and over again against my hair.

I looked up at his dishevelled appearance and quickly ran my hands all over his chest and back, looking for bite marks. Edward shook his head. "I'm fine, I need to get you out of here." He started pulling me towards the road.

"Edward, the man..." I shook on the spot.

"He was dead the moment I bit him. Our venom is lethal to them. Bella we have to go." He lifted me into his arms and walked away quickly, but before we could even reach the road he swore under his breath. He placed me on the wet grass and took my face between his hands "Run, Bella."

I looked up behind him and gasped, the rest of the pack had arrived.

"Edward..." I whispered.

"Go, find Alice." He shoved me gently away from the wolves before turning around to face them.

I stood there, frozen. I knew he was right, Alice had probably seen this coming and she was probably on her way back. I saw the wolves emerging from the woods, I counted at least six. We were going to need the whole family; I had to guide them to Edward. And yet, I couldn't make my legs move. I couldn't even close my eyes when the animals attacked. I watched them as they overpowered Edward, watched helplessly as he struggled to get them off of him. They didn't even seem to notice me there, watching by the side of the road, a silent scream stuck in my throat.

His unbelievable strength helped him; he threw the beasts away from him, using his arms and teeth to injure them. He didn't see the biggest wolf coming behind him, and I was too terrified to even yell a warning. It got him on the side, lifting him in the air. Edward groaned in pain. My own head felt like it was going to explode from the pain of watching his.

Then I remembered my gift, my power. I closed my eyes and concentrated hard, bending down, folding into myself. _Let him go! Let him go! _I thought over and over again but the beast was huge, it didn't seem all that affected by me. Or maybe it was watching Edward struggle that kept me from truly focusing.

_RELEASE HIM!_ I yelled in my mind, concentrating so hard my head hurt.

"Bella! No!" Edward yelled. The wolf dropped him, cowering away from me. I wondered if he knew it had been me.

I used my mind to make him step away from Edward. "Isabella! Stop it!" He yelled again. The sound of my full name made me lose focus. Then I noticed all the wolves were retreating. I had only a second to frown before something incredible happened.

The biggest wolf burst into flames.

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I stared in muted horror as the stench of burnt hair and the horrific yelps of pain filled me to the core. Edward was by my side in an instant, hiding me against his chest to once again shield me from the horrors.

"Stop!" He yelled to no one in particular it seemed.

"What? I thought you would like some roasted wolf as your last meal." A deep, yet childlike voice answered behind us, making me jump. I turned around to face the beautiful boy who slowly walked towards us, followed by five other men.

"Leave the beast alone. It will take us weeks to get off of us as it is." One of the men protested. The boy glared at him and he instantly became quiet. It was easy to see who had the upper hand in that group.

I looked up at Edward, searching for answers in his stone cold face.

"Alec." Edward greeted the boy with a sneer.

"Edward. Bella. Nice night for a funeral eh?" Alec smiled wickedly. Edward just growled.

I understood then. They were the guard, they were there to finish Edward off.

"Bella, go wait by the side of the road." Edward instructed me.

I stared at him, shocked at what he was asking from me. I threw my arms around his waist in an unbreakable grasp "I'm not leaving you!" I mumbled against his chest.

"Awww, how sweet! Not a problem, I can kill you both if you'd like." Alec gave us a sympathetic fake smile that made me want to knock his teeth out.

"Isabella, go find Alice." Edward told me for the second time that night. He tried to break away from me, pulling on my arms. I silently thanked my vampire strength as the hysteria started to take over.

"No, Edward no. I won't go." I whispered.

"Bella, please." I made the mistake of looking into his eyes. He was pleading, begging me to leave him there. There was so much pain, so much worry for me written all over his face that I almost agreed. I shook my head to clear it.

"I'll go with you quietly if you spare her." Edward told Alec. The boy laughed.

"Oh Edward, I don't need you to 'come quietly'. I'm not taking you anywhere! I've been told to finish you off, not take you back!"

I was still shaking my head. I wasn't going to let them take Edward. I still didn't quite understand how that wolf had spontaneously combusted, but something told me it had a lot to do with the vampire child in front of us. I could stop him, I knew I could.

As if he could read my mind, Edward said, "Isabella, you promised." He whispered so gently in my ear that even I had a hard time hearing him. Yes, I had promised to him that I wouldn't use my powers in front of the Volturi. It was a promise I intended to break if it meant keeping him alive.

"Look, I don't have a lot of time and I'm not really into drama, so I'm going to get this over with." Alec shrugged.

Edward shoved me away from him. I was so shocked I fell, landing in slippery mud. I turned to look at him and his eyes locked into mine. "Bella" He mouthed, before his body was engulfed by flames.

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"Edward!" I screamed hysterically. He closed his eyes and clenched his mouth to keep from yelling. I couldn't believe that was going to be the end. I couldn't conceive the idea of him leaving me so suddenly, so permanently, not after I finally had him for eternity. I was so desperate, so mad and irrational, that I threw myself at Alec.

I ran towards the small vampire so fast his guard didn't even have time to react. I wanted him to stop torturing Edward. To stop the fire before it consumed him, but I also wanted revenge.

My hands reached out to tackle the boy. When my skin made contact with his I felt a surge of heat going through me. For a moment I thought I was burning too, which suited me fine. If Edward was going to die I might as well go with him. But then I realized that the heat wasn't coming from me.

I opened my eyes and was so taken aback I yelped. Alec's whole body was bubbling, melting with his own heat. It was then that the fog of despair cleared. I suddenly noticed the sounds around me. Screams of pain, trashing, running and crackling of burning wood.

I looked around, stunned and confused. The five vampires that had been standing behind Alec were on the ground, almost completely consumed by the fire that seemed to emanate from their bodies. I stared at my hands, still holding on to Alec's charred body, and let go.

As soon as I stopped touching him, the flames died.

"Edward!" I turned to where I'd last seen him. He was lying on the ground, curled on his side. He seemed to be mostly unscratched. The remains of his charred clothes still burned a few feet away. I was at his side in an instant.

"Edward!" I rolled him on his back and he groaned. I searched his body for injuries but the few I found were already disappearing. He opened his eyes wearily, still in obvious pain.

"Edward, are you okay? Please talk to me!" I dropped to my knees next to him and touched his face with my cold hands.

"You promised." He whispered.

I was so relieved at hearing him speak that I ignored his anger and threw my arms around his neck. He pulled me into his lap, crushing me to his chest. I sobbed tearlessly against his shoulder.

"It's over, it's all over." He whispered over and over again.

"Over? How exactly is this over? I really don't think this was their last attempt at taking your life." I mumbled against his skin. Someone threw a coat over Edward's shoulders. I looked up to see Carlisle looking around at the remains of the battle. The rest of the family was close behind.

"Come on, we need to move." Alice tried to pull me off Edward but I held on for dear life. I couldn't let go of him, not yet.

Edward lifted an arm to stop her. He stood up, accepting Carlisle's help, with me still in his arms. He carried me to the car silently, the only sound was the fabric of the trench coat he was wearing as it flapped around us.

I settled in his lap while Carlisle drove us away from the horrific scene. I heard him apologizing to Edward for something, but I was still too stunned to pay any attention to the words being said.

We drove for hours, until the sun appeared, and then Carlisle parked in front of an old motel. I heard the gist of that conversation. Carlisle wanted us to get together in one room, Edward however, wanted to be alone with me.

Edward won. He carried me to an empty room and immediately headed for the bathroom. He sat me down next to the sink and ran his hands up my legs. Lifting me up by the waist, he pulled down the fishnet stockings I'd been wearing and threw them in the trash can. I looked down at the tiny skirt as he pulled that off as well. I was brown and green all over, covered in mud and grass stains. I lifted my arms so he could slip off my shirt and then watched as he turned on the water and finished undressing us both.

The pain and shock of almost losing him was still so fresh that I didn't even protest when he pulled me into the shower. He used the hotel shampoo to clean my hair and body. I stared at the floor and watched the brown water fall.

His fingers lifted my chin so I could look into his eyes. "Bella?" He whispered. The water cascading down my face made it hard to see, almost as if I were crying.

"I almost lost you tonight." I spoke for the first time in hours.

"And I, you. You shouldn't have done that Bella, it was so stupid of you." His dark eyes were infuriated and soft at the same time. Only his complex eyes could ever accomplish such a thing.

"I couldn't just stand there and watch you get yourself killed." I shuddered.

"You should have. At least you would've been safe then." His tortured voice made me take his face between my hands. "Don't say that, don't ever say that! I would never be safe without you."

Edward rolled his eyes "There's not much that can hurt you now. Not much that I can protect you from anyway." He said with self loathing.

"I can be quite a danger to myself if you're not around." I threatened.

It was Edward's turn to take my face in his hands. "Don't be ridiculous."

"Then don't leave me." I challenged.

He sighed and pulled me against his body, pressing my cold skin against his. "I wish we could go back to our old life, to when things were normal." He whispered against my hair.

"Things with us have never been normal." I teased lightly and he smiled.

"Yes, well, I never thought I'd say this but everything was a lot easier when you were human."

I sighed. "I'm starting to miss sleep right about now. That was my favorite time of day."

"When you were asleep? I thought that was _my_ favorite time." Edward smiled again.

"Well, no. I guess it's not the actual sleep I miss, but the time we had together every night. Those uninterrupted, unsupervised hours of alone time."

"We're not being supervised now." Edward winked at me and reached behind me to turn off the water. He wrapped us both in towels and then carried me to the bed. Pulling back the covers, he laid me down and got in behind me, pulling me close against his body. The delicious contact made me shiver.

Edward rolled me on my stomach and ran his hands through my hair, from the top of my head to my waist.

"Edward?" I murmured.

"Mmmh?" He mumbled.

"You do know I don't regret you making me like you? Not for a second."

"Not even when I made you a killer? When you bit Jacob? When you watched me kill those other boys? When you saw a man burning to death?" Edward's intense whisper made my stomach tighten.

"No. I feel bad about that, excruciatingly so, but I don't regret what I am. It brought me closer to you."

"It brought you closer to death. You already had me close, as close as I could ever possibly be."

I turned around and pulled him on top of me. "No, you weren't." I whispered.

"So it was all about sex for you?" He smiled to let me know he was teasing.

"No." I smiled back, "It's about eternity. And I _will_ spend eternity with you, Edward. I will not let them take you away."

I pressed my lips against his before he could respond. The fighting, the explanations, the decisions, they could all wait until nightfall. Thanks to the sun, we had the whole day for ourselves and I fully intended to take advantage of those uninterrupted, unsupervised hours.

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We all sat in absolute silence for what seemed like an eternity to me. Alice had her eyes closed and we were all watching her, waiting for some kind of news. She shook her head and opened her eyes almost unwillingly.

"I just can't see it. There's too much going on. The Volturi know what happened to Alec though. That can't be good."

"What _did_ happen to Alec anyway, Bella?" Emmett asked me.

"I don't know, I just... I grabbed him..." I'd been wondering about that too.

"I have a theory." Carlisle spoke up. "I think that maybe you can amplify other vampires' gifts and redirect them at will."

I shook my head "I thought we'd already found my gift. The whole getting-people-to-do-what-I-want thing seemed right on target."

"Well maybe this is part of that too. Maybe you're just more powerful than we originally thought."

Edward groaned. "And the Volturi know this now."

"How do they know?" I asked.

"Just because a vampire is on fire doesn't necessarily means he's dead." Alice explained.

"We should've finished them off." Emmet growled.

"Bad timing, more of them were coming. We had to get out of there." Alice sighed.

"It seems to me like Bella can take them all out by herself. I say let her try." Rosalie snapped.

Edward glared at her. I held up my hand to stop him from yelling at her.

"I think Rosalie is right." I whispered. Seven pairs of eyes snapped around to stare at me.

"Are you insane?" Edward roared. I took his hand in mine and begged him with my eyes to listen.

"I can obviously take care of myself. If I can redirect any of their powers I could just go to the Volturi and..."

"No!" He took my face in his hands and forced me to look at him. "If you keep talking like that I'll turn myself over to them. It ends with me."

"This is not a contest of who can be the biggest martyr. Let's try to be reasonable here." Alice glared at us.

"Well I just don't see another way out of this. Do you?" I asked her.

She opened her mouth then closed it again. She glanced apologetically at Edward before answering. "No, not really. There are just too many of them."

Edward growled so loudly that his chest vibrated against my back.

"We don't even know how your gift really works, Bella." Esme's soft voice calmed us all down.

"I agree, it's too risky for you to go alone." Carlisle nodded.

"But now that the Volturi know about you, you are just as much a target as Edward is." Jasper pointed out.

"We need to hide you, get you away from all of this as quickly as we can." Edward said matter of factly.

"I doubt there's a place on earth where they won't find us. Besides, it's not me I'm worried about." My mind was running a mile a minute. I needed to come up with a plan to keep everyone safe. That night had been a really close call. I had to keep Edward away from the whole mess, solve it on my own somehow.

I had a feeling that no one was saying exactly what they were thinking. I needed every fact, every opinion to form a reasonable plan. I decided to test my gift, so I reached for Edward's hand. He took my smaller hand in his without a second thought and I closed my eyes, willing his thoughts into my head.

The flood of thoughts was so loud and intense it made me flinch. Every voice of every person inside the cheap hotel rushed into my mind. Edward glanced worriedly at me, blissfully unaware of what I was taking from him. The look on my face probably seemed like anxiety to him, because he wrapped his arms around my shoulders.

I sorted through the voices, there were so many. I didn't have the decades of practice that Edward had in tuning thoughts. I tried blocking everything first, concentrating until the voices became a dull roar. Eventually I tried focusing on the vampires in the room.

I tuned Alice first. Her mind was chaotic. Images of people, places and different scenarios came and went in irregular intervals. It was too much for me and I secretly thanked a higher power for a gift that didn't invade my mind. I could tell Alice was worried, no scenario seemed to change the outcome and she kept seeing us all dead. When an image of Edward being torn to pieces flashed through her mind I tuned her out.

Emmett had murder in his mind, no surprise there. Esme was deeply worried about us all. Carlisle was complicated. He knew I had a better chance of getting the Volturi off our backs than the rest of them put together and yet he didn't even conceive the idea of letting me go alone. It simply didn't cross his mind.

I focused on Jasper then. He could sense the tension in the room, and probably the stress coming from me too. He was thinking about me, wondering about the sudden spike of panic. His thoughts shifted suddenly and the direction that they turned surprised me. He was thinking about how to help us, how to fight the other vampires off, but he was also making contingency plans, not for himself, but for Alice. He was trying to figure out a way of taking her out of the fight and wondering if his gift was strong enough to induce some sort of comma so he could keep her hidden. He knew she'd never leave us willingly. I understood how he felt; I wanted the same thing for Edward after all.

I turned around to stare at my lover. He was deep in thought. His thoughts scared me, I had to work very hard on keeping my breathing under control and the panic below the surface when I realized what he was planning. He was going to turn himself over to the Volturi. He had already decided, his mind was completely made up. The next time we left the hotel he was going to lose me somehow and go to Italy by himself.

_"I know what you're doing_" I heard Rosalie's voice so clearly I thought she'd spoken out loud. I turned to face her. Her eyes bore holes into mine and her mind was completely blank. I frowned at her and her eyes flickered to Edward. I understood, if she thought about what I was doing, Edward would surely find out. She was being careful.

"_You have to do it_" She thought. "_We're all going to die_" I nodded, I knew she was right. "_Help me, please. I'm begging you, spare Emmett._" Her cry for help was so desperate, so filled with emotions, that it made both Jasper and Edward aware of the situation. Alice gasped and Edward released me at once.

He stared at me, now completely aware of what I'd been doing. At once he understood Rosalie was not talking to him, but to me. Knowing that I knew his plans. Alice was staring at me too, her eyes panicked. Her visions had probably shifted; I'd already made up my mind. It was time to put Jasper's theory to the test. I crossed the room in a millisecond. I turned to Edward, my eyes filled with love and determination.

"I love you." I whispered and then grabbed Jasper's arm.

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_This is probably my shortest chapter ever, sorry about tha guys! And sorry about the huge wait! Life keeps getting in the way…_

_Well this is the second to last chapter (yup, only one left!) And summer break is coming up soon, so I should be able to post faster. _

_Ah! For the first time in my life I have a beta! You can thank ECABS for making this thing readable ;) I luv you hun, thanks a bunch! _

_Oh and thank you to everyone who's still reading this story, even thought I've been writing it for OVER A YEAR. I wish you all crazy moments and good lovers ;)_


	14. Final Stand

Nightfall 14

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**The final stand**

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_He stared at me, completely aware of what I'd been doing. Knowing that I knew his plans. Alice was staring at me too, her eyes panicked. Her visions had probably shifted – I'd already made up my mind. It was time to put Jasper's theory to the test. I crossed the room in a millisecond. I turned to Edward, my eyes filled with love and determination._

_"I love you." I whispered and then grabbed Jasper's arm._

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It took every ounce of concentration I had to pull Jasper's power from him and redirect it to the vampires in the room. I could feel the energy soaring through me as the members of my family dropped to the floor. All but one. Rosalie.

She stared at me with wide eyes. "Give me their credit cards, passports and money. It won't stop them but it'll certainly slow them down." My voice sounded hoarse from the effort of channeling Jasper's power.

Rosalie nodded. She ran around the room and collected what I'd asked for. I stared at Edward's unmoving face. His eyes were closed and he seemed unnaturally still. I wondered if he could hear me, or if the lethargy I was sending his way was strong enough to interfere with his hearing as well.

Rosalie dropped the money and documents in her purse and handed it to me, placing her credit card at the top.

"What's your pin number?" I asked but she was already scribbling it on the back of my hand with the hotel pen.

I took a deep breath "I don't know what will happen when I let go of Jasper. I'm not sure I'll be able to hold the effect..."

"I'll stall them as much as I can." Rosalie whispered.

I nodded "Are you ready?"

It was her turn to nod. As I closed my eyes to concentrate she stopped me.

"Bella?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

I opened my eyes to find her inches away from me. She threw her arms awkwardly around my shoulders and I tried to hug her back without letting go of Jasper's arm. With Rosalie's arms around me I felt powerful, beautiful, invincible.

"Come back alive, sister." She whispered

"I will try my best," I whispered back. "Please tell him I love him and I'm sorry."

She nodded and took a step back. It took me only a moment of concentration to knock her down too.

With Rosalie lying on the floor along side the rest of my family, I focused on retaining Jasper's energy and then swiftly let go.

_Stay where you are. Stay where you are._ I repeated those words like a mantra while I ran out the room and down the stairs. It was then that I realized I couldn't really tell whether I was using Jasper's powers or my own. Whichever the case, it had the desired result. No one seemed to be following me for the time being.

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I drove recklessly, faster than I ever had before. I stopped at the ATM and got as much money as I could from Rosalie's credit card. I called the airlines and bought a ticket for the first available flight to Italy. I had an hour before my flight, so I kept driving until I reached the club.

I jumped out of the car before it had completely stopped. I threw the keys at the valet so hard he flinched. When I got to the chain the guy looked me up and down. I was certainly rich and beautiful, but I was also wearing jeans and a wrinkled t-shirt from the hotel gift shop. "Let me pass" I ordered him and he relinquished at once.

I moved through the mass of dancing people without even holding my breath. I was too determined, too focused to even worry about eating someone. I threw the curtains of Lestat's room aside and let myself in.

The girl sitting on his lap jumped, startled. Lestat just smiled. "Bella! What a surprise! I must say, you seem to be the only one who can keep me on my toes!"

"I'm going to the Volturi." I growled.

"I gathered as much. What do you want from me?" He asked.

"Advice." I answered simply.

"And what do I get in return?"

"What do you want?"

He scratched his chin, deep in thought. I danced on the balls of my feet.

"I'm not sure." He finally answered.

I groaned. "How about this? You can either tell me yourself or I can _make_ you tell me."

He gave me a teasing smile. "Well I guess now we know what your power is, don't we? How about you just owe me one?"

I was in too much of a hurry to care anymore. It was unlikely I would survive to pay him back anyway. "Fine. What do you have for me?"

He motioned to the chair in front of him. I shook my head furiously. He whispered instructions to the girl next to him in a language I couldn't comprehend and the girl left.

"No matter what you do or say, they will not spare Edward's life." He told me with a note of regret.

"What do you mean? There has to be something I can do!"

Lestat shook his head "Edward broke the rules in such a blunt way, there's just no way they can let him live. It would make them seem weak."

"I can force them to leave him alone! I have to do something!" I said desperately but Lestat kept shaking his head, only infuriating me further.

"The Volturi's power is greatly based on intimidation. If they let him live it sends out a message of weakness! Without their invincibility they have nothing! They'd rather go to war than lose control of our race. I am sorry Bella –there is just no way."

I felt the unnecessary air leave my lungs in a gesture of despair. I turned to leave.

"Bella?"

"Yes?"

"You're going to Italy anyway aren't you?"

"Yes."

"You'll need this."

The girl walked back in carrying a large crystal pitcher filled with what my senses told me was blood. I shook my head.

"You're a newborn vampire. You need blood. You won't stand a chance without it."

Instinctually I knew he was right. Hunger and reason quickly wavered my resolve. I took the crystal container from the girl and brought it to my lips.

I drank the warm liquid. Only once in my life had I tasted something as sweet and wonderful as that blood, it was what had started the whole mess. It filled me, satiating the eternal thirst that I'd fought to become accustomed to.

As I licked the last drops like an animal I turned to the girl. She saw murder in my eyes and cowered, moving to the dark recesses of the room.

"Isabella!" Lestat's voice startled me, placating the monster in me long enough for me to regain my sanity.

"You must go now. And remember, if they know about you, and by now I'm sure they do, they will want you dead just as much as they want him. When you get to Italy... grab the girl. "

I nodded, figuring his cryptic advice would make sense eventually, and ran out of the club as fast as humanly possible.

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I sat on the plane with my stomach twisted in fear and dread until we took off. I had checked every airline in the area. My flight was the first one since I'd left my family at the hotel. If Edward wasn't on this plane it meant I was still one step ahead of them.

The waiting gave me time to form a game plan. The maps of Italy I'd acquired at the airport were the last things I'd been able to buy with the credit cards. I knew the second the Cullens found out what I'd done Edward would call to cancel the cards hoping I'd be left stranded. I'd pulverized the plastic rectangles in my hands and tossed the remains in a trashcan on my way to the gate.

As I sat alone in the half empty plane I memorized the maps and studied the roads I needed to take once I landed. I just hoped the cash I had would be enough to rent a car because, even though I'd considered stealing one, I knew absolutely nothing about hot-wiring a vehicle.

I was bouncing in my seat by the time the plane landed. The blood I'd gulped down at the club, though necessary, had made the flight especially excruciating. The constant lure of human blood was intoxicating. I hadn't taken a breath since I'd set foot in the airport and it was getting extremely uncomfortable. Sheer determination had kept me from eating every passenger for dinner.

I scrambled out of the plane and made my way through the airport as fast as I could. When I got to the car rental counter my heart dropped. The requirements, translated to English, Spanish and German, clearly stated that I needed three things I did not have. Twenty-four years of age, a driver's license and a credit card.

I groaned into my hands. For a moment I felt weak, helpless... human. Then, as I took a deep breath in the crowded room, I remembered myself. I stood up straight, walked to the parking lot with confidence and approached a young boy that was just about to climb into his little Audi.

"Do you speak English?" I asked him. I wasn't sure my gift would work in different languages.

The boy turned around, stared at my pretty face and my tousled airplane hair and nodded.

"Do you live here?" I asked again and, again, he nodded.

"I need to borrow your car." I held out my hand and he dropped his keys into it.

"Write me down your address and I'll make sure you get it back."

With a shaky hand he took a pen from his jacket pocket and scribbled down his address on a spare piece of paper he had in the car. I took it from him and then instructed him, "Go straight home. Tell no one about this and, if anyone asks where your car is, tell them it broke down and you're getting it fixed."

He nodded again. I climbed into the car, closed the door and sped off. The desperation and the need to save Edward's life were making me brave to the point of recklessness. I drove the curves that led to Volterra like a bat out of hell. I had to get there before Edward did. I had to get there and talk the Volturi into sparing his life.

I thought of several possibilities, different scenarios. I considered exchanging my life for his. I considered selling myself to them, working for them forever if that meant keeping my family safe. All plans had a fault of course. Edward and his twisted sense of chivalry would never let it slide. He'd fight for me, even die for me, the fool. He didn't understand how important, how essential it was for me to keep him alive. I could face death knowing I hadn't deprived the world of his beauty.

When I drove up to the gates of the city there was a line of cars waiting to get in. I growled, desperate to get things over with before the Cullens had a chance to catch up. As the cars moved closer to the gates something occurred to me. I had absolutely no idea where to find the Volturi. Then I realized it didn't matter. I was sure that as soon as I crossed that gate they'd know. It was a clear, sunny day, so walking around waiting for them to grab me was out of the question. I'd have to drive around.

I was so lost in thought that I didn't see the dark hooded figure walking up to the car. I heard a startling crunch and my car door swung open. I shrieked as a hand pulled me out of the car and into the deep shadow cast by the city's walls.

"Let me go!" I yelled and the strong hands dropped my arms at once.

"Shhh, Bella, calm down." The voice, though oddly familiar, was not one that I expected.

"Who are you?" I wracked my brain trying to remember that voice. The man in front of me pulled back his hood and I gasped.

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"Arthur?"

The man was a mess, only a shadow of the vampire I'd met in Alaska months before. The purple bruises under his eyes were so deep he looked as if he'd been punched. His skin, paler than usual, seemed almost clammy. He was filthy, his hooded sweatshirt covered in dust, his black pants ripped in several places. His irises were as dark as midnight. But what startled me the most was the look in his eyes. He looked devastated, broken, inconsolable. And yet, all I managed to choke out was, "I thought you were dead."

He took a shaky breath and mumbled, "I wish".

"But how?" I stuttered

"I wasn't in the house when it happened. I'd gone hunting down south."

"And Ellen?" I asked urgently for his wife.

"She stayed behind. She was in the house, helping Ruth with some Christmas decorations when the Volturi..."

And then, I did the most impractical thing I could. I broke down in sobs.

"Arthur I'm sorry! I am so so sorry! This is all my fault. I never thought... I mean, I didn't..."

The older man pulled me to his chest, whether to comfort me or muffle my cries I wasn't sure. "Bella, it's not your fault. None of this is your fault. You were just in the wrong place and, undeniably, at the wrong time."

I couldn't believe the man was consoling _me_ when I was the reason his whole family was dead. I shook against him, crying tearlessly at the awfulness of the situation I found myself in.

"I deserve to die." I whispered against his chest between sobs. I'd caused so much death and mayhem that there was nothing left for me to do except turn myself in, ask to be killed and hope it'd end there.

"You came here to die?" Arthur asked me, "Well that makes two of us. But tonight, only one death will be necessary."

I nodded in fervent agreement. "I'll go see them right now. Maybe I can leave Edward a letter asking him to turn away. If I explain things to him he might not try to avenge my death..."

Arthur grabbed my shoulders and shook me, breaking my crying spell. "Isabella don't be stupid. You need to stay alive for him, for everyone! You were the one unfortunate enough to start this war. And if what I've heard about you is true you're the only one powerful enough to stop it. You have to remember, this goes beyond us. Beyond revenge or guilt."

I stared into his shallow, lifeless eyes, trying to comprehend what he was telling me. "But what can _I_ do? I'm just a kid! I never asked for this! All I can do is turn myself in! Hope to death everything will end with me."

Arthur shook his head. "If what you want is for Edward to be left alone, no amount of selflessness on your part will do the job. If you want to punish yourself for sins that are not yours to confess, you'll be taking thousands of lives with you. Is that what you want?"

I opened my mouth to reply but closed it again at once. He was being so cryptic and I was too torn inside to make sense of his messages. "What do you mean?" I asked him desperately.

"The war Bella! The poor teenage boys who are fighting as werewolves against powerful vampires who will most likely destroy them! And the many vampires being killed while fighting a battle that is not theirs to fight! The thousands of innocents that have turned into collateral damage! No one can get the two sides to make a truce, except maybe you. And even that is a big maybe."

"But what can I do?"

Arthur leaned me against the stone wall and held on to my shoulders "Edward needs to be killed, so that you can then use your power to bargain for humanity, and not for him."

I'd started shaking my head at the mention of Edward's name. "No, I can't do that Arthur! I'm sorry, I really am but I need to try and save him! Even if it's a lost battle I can't not try!"

He was shaking his head as well "No Bella, you don't understand." Right in front of my eyes, Arthur's features shifted. In the blink of an eye I was no longer staring into the black eyes of a family friend, but into the topaz pools of my lover. I gasped; it took me longer than it should have to remember that Arthur could change his appearance at will. He now looked exactly like Edward. Even though I knew I was still talking to Arthur I couldn't help but admire Edward's angel like features. I had to admit that the chance to glance upon his timeless beauty was a small gift – a final goodbye.

"Edward needs to be killed." Even his voice sounded the same.

I shook my head fervently, my chest heaved with the sobs that shook my body once again. "No, Arthur I can't let you do this! I'm already responsible for your family's death I can't let you sacrifice yourself..."

"Bella..." he smiled kindly at me "I _want_ to die. There is nothing left for me on this earth. I came here to be killed. Running into you was just an added bonus. Now, if my plan works, maybe the death of my family won't be in vain."

I was still shaking my head so he pulled me into a fierce hug once more. I cried against him, I felt so sorry, so guilty, so helpless. No matter how many times people told me I'd been set up, that what happened was not my fault, I just couldn't justify so many deaths.

"Bella, listen to me. We're going to have to do this soon. I need you to help me. You have to keep the illusion going until they've burned my body, otherwise this will all have been for nothing. "

I looked up into Edward's eyes and tried to make sense of what Arthur was asking of me. "You mean, you need me to..."

"Keep my power going, even after they've killed me."

I panicked "I'm not sure I can do that! I've never done it. I don't even really know how my gift works! I don't know how..."

"You can, Bella. You have to. This is your only chance." He was pulling me towards the car, which was still running. He pushed me gently into the driver's seat.

"Find the clock tower. Next to it there is an alley. I will wait for them there but you'll have to follow me to wherever they take me. You have to make sure they see Edward when they kill me. They know what you can do, so stay out of sight. Only show yourself after I've been burned. Find a way to make them leave you alone then figure out how to stop this carnage."

I stared at him, my eyes wide as saucers. "That's the plan? Get you killed and then wing it? I can't do this! I can't watch you die! Besides, won't they know I'm here as soon as I enter the city?"

"As far as I know they don't know about you and they're not expecting you. There is no such thing as a vampire-radar, Bella. Just drive slow and stay away from the sun."

He knelt down in front of me, taking my face in his hands the way Edward did when he was trying to make me understand something vital. "Bella, listen to me, this is your only chance to save Edward. You will know what to do. I trust you."

And with that he turned around, pulled his hood up and walked right through the gates of Volterra.

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My hands were shaking uncontrollably as I drove through the narrow streets. A part of me refused to believe I'd be able to sacrifice Arthur like that, but deep down I knew I'd do anything, _anything_ to keep Edward alive.

I parked the car a block away from the tower and waited for Arthur. I spotted him a few minutes later, leaning against the wall concealed by the shadows. I knew I was looking at Arthur, but I couldn't keep that fact straight in my mind. All I saw was Edward, standing in the dark, waiting to be killed.

Anxiety combined with stress was making it difficult for me to focus. I wondered how long it would take for him to be spotted and secretly wished that they'd never notice him. My hopes vanished a second later, when a tall man dressed entirely in black walked up to Arthur and took his shoulder. The man said something to him, but I was too far away to hear through the noisy street. A second vampire dressed in black joined them. He was shorter than Arthur, but seemed larger somehow. There was something about him, not muscles exactly, but a dark menace to his posture and stride that made him look... powerful.

I got out of the car as I watched Arthur nod. He said something back to the tall vampire and started walking deeper into the shadows. I remained exactly one block behind them as the two guards guided him to the wall that surrounded the city. Taking a quick look around, the tallest of the three glanced at the short vampire. He nodded slowly, and the tall man jumped, grabbed on to the wall and went over it quickly.

Arthur followed him and, with another quick glance to make sure no one was watching, the third vampire jumped too. I followed them quietly, glancing up at the wall before trying to jump. I bent my knees and jumped, but I couldn't reach the top. I moaned in frustration. If I took too long they were going to leave and then what would I do? I tried to focus on my vampire energy, on jumping higher, on grabbing on to anything.

I jumped again and somehow managed to grab on to the ledge. I took a peek to see where they'd gone and found the three hidden in the shadows of a large tree.

"I just want to make this clear. My family is to be left alone." Arthur said with Edward's voice.

"No problem, Ed." The small vampire smiled wickedly at him.

"That includes Bella." Arthur's stare was murderous. I knew he was restraining himself, keeping from attacking his wife's killers for the "greater good". I had never admired anyone more.

"We can't promise that." The tallest one shook his head.

"Felix, there is no reason..."

"Ah but there _is_, isn't there, Edward?" Felix wasn't smiling. In fact, he looked furious. "Besides, you are in no position to bargain with us. This must end now."

Arthur took a deep breath and nodded. "I did wrong. I broke our laws and I must be punished for that. But know this: If there is a hell, I will come back from it to make you pay for what you've done to the people I love."

Felix snorted. "Like I haven't heard that one before." And with that, he jumped on Arthur, tearing his skin with nails and teeth. I was so shocked I couldn't even scream, something I was deeply thankful for. I kept myself hidden as the other vampire joined in. Arthur didn't put up a fight.

I was horrified, grasping at the last bits of my sanity as I struggled to remember it wasn't Edward being killed down there, not that that made it hurt any less. My body shook with sobs as I tried to concentrate on keeping the illusion going. I didn't know how long it'd take for them to kill Arthur.

He groaned and twisted around to face me. His eyes were imploring mine, asking me to keep fighting the battle he no longer could. Begging me to keep going.

And then, it was over. His body lay lifeless and still on the hard ground. I couldn't tear my eyes away from the blank, empty eyes that I knew so well. I bit my lip so hard to keep from crying out I almost broke through my own skin. I kept imagining that was really Edward, dead and motionless on the grounds of Volterra. That alone kept me quiet and still, that alone helped me concentrate. I thought about nothing except keeping Arthur's body as Edward's.

I watched as Felix got to his feet, reached inside his black robe and pulled out a small container with a liquid that smelled strongly of gasoline. He poured it all over the remains of Arthur's body. The other vampire lit the match.

I maintained the illusion for as long as it took. Once the remains were charred beyond recognition and both men turned back towards the wall I shifted my mind into remaining hidden.

I felt daring, in desperate need to test the full power of my gift. So, instead of hiding from Arthur's killers, I stood up to face them and thought to myself _"Don't see me". _

Both vampires walked by me without a second glance. I could feel myself, stronger and surer of myself than ever before as I walked behind them into an alley of the city. I kept my eyes open for any sign of the real Edward or Alice or anyone that could interfere with my plans. I knew what I needed to do then, and I knew I had to do it alone.

As the two men disappeared into a tall building I followed, forcing everyone who glanced my way to turn around, not notice me, not see me. I walked voluntarily into what could very well be the last building I'd ever set foot in.

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I had no plan, no course of action. I just kept my back pressed against the wall and kept thinking over and over in my head _"Don't notice me" _hoping it'd stick. The two vampires walked silently past the front desk, nodding at the girl behind it in greetings. I felt like crying with relief as the girl looked right past me to greet them back.

They reached a set of elevators and climbed into one. I didn't feel like pushing my luck so much by joining them, so I waited until the elevator left and watched anxiously until it stopped on the seventh floor, then I headed for the stairs.

As I climbed the steps two at a time I wondered what I'd find when I pushed open the door. Part of me expected dark, gloomy walls with skeletons chained to them, but the reasonable part of me knew it would probably be a normal hallway, with normal furniture and normal bloodthirsty vampires milling around.

I was so absorbed by my own thoughts and so sure of my abilities to control people that I didn't even pause by the door, I just pushed it open and walked right into a sunlit hall pretty much as I had imagined it, only I was immediately surrounded by vampires. They had been expecting me.

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My first instincts told me to run, to fly down the stairs as fast as my legs could take me, but I was strangely rooted to the spot. I tried to move my limbs but nothing happened, it seemed like someone there was keeping me still with their mind. I briefly wondered why _that_gift worked on me when most of them didn't.

"Well, it's nice to know even _you_ can't order technology around." A fragile looking man with long black hair wearing a dark brown cloak walked up to me. I gasped when I recognized him from one of the paintings in Carlisle's study. "I must admit, when Caius insisted on adding electronic surveillance to the building I thought it was pure rubbish. I stand corrected."

Even though I was surrounded and quickly panicking, I tried to keep myself together and occupied my eyes, the only part of my body I could move, on locating my captor. I found a tall, beautiful woman standing behind a row of powerful looking men. She seemed to be concentrating hard.

"Let me go." I said through gritted teeth. I hadn't thought I'd be able to speak out loud, but the second the words left my mouth I found myself able to move around again.

I took a step back. The beautiful woman looked around horrified. The initial shock at my subtle movement wore off quickly though, and every vampire in the room leaned forward as if to leap on me.

Before anyone could so much as blink I yelled; "Stop!"

All of them stopped in their tracks unwillingly. Taking a deep breath I mustered up all my courage before continuing. "Do not move. We are going to have a little chat."

I could see in their eyes the fear and the anger of being forced into submission against their will. The man who'd spoken to me first was the only one who seemed more curious than upset.

"You have killed the man who wronged you. I came here to ask to be left alone now. Stop following my family, stop the hunt. You have what you wanted now leave us be."

"Enough." A voice behind me startled me. I turned around to see a black haired man walking up the stairs. I raised my hand to stop him in his tracks but before I could even think of ordering him to be still he raised his own hands.

"The mind games won't be necessary, Isabella." He kept walking. I wondered briefly if I should talk to him. Maybe try to reason with him. He certainly seemed like the most reasonable of the bunch.

Before I could make up my mind he'd walked past me to join his motionless friends. "My name is Marcus. I, along with this man," he pointed to the other brown cloaked fellow, "and Caius run the Volturi family. We have been keeping an eye on you."

"Why?" The word left my mouth on impulse.

"You are a very special girl, very special indeed. We have been observing you since before you became a vampire. Even as a human you had a... talent that intrigued us."

"A talent?"

"Yes, well it intrigued Aro here more than the rest of us, but we kept an eye on you nevertheless. That proved to be a smart move. We knew you were... immune to certain vampire gifts and we wanted to know why, or at the very least know what would become of you once you were changed."

"But how did you...?"

Marcus raised a hand to interrupt me. "Lestat _can_ be useful from time to time. There was a vampire who met you in passing and went to stay with your family friends in Alaska for a while."

"Laurent." I whispered. Marcus nodded "He sold you out. Quite literally too, he exchanged information about you for protection. He seemed to think your Edward would eventually run into him and finish him off. I don't really know why, I never asked."

I wondered what Laurent had done, or what he was planning to do that would make Edward want to hunt him down.

"But Laurent is not what's important here, Bella. What's important is, we knew about you, we've known about you all along. We knew the werewolves were going to set you up. We wanted them to, the wolf that set this in motion, one of the tribe elders, was reckless. He couldn't see he was planning a lost battle. They are in no way ready to fight our race. Not in strategy, not in numbers."

"Then why did you let it happen? If you knew what I was going to do, why didn't you stop me?" I pleaded with the man who stared at me with cold eyes.

"In the words of Napoleon Bonaparte: Never interrupt your enemy when he's making a mistake."

I couldn't believe my ears. I'd been played from the very beginning by both sides of a battle that was not my own. They had all known I was going to murder an innocent teenage boy and they had let me. I shook under the weight of my destiny and asked in a whisper. "Why are you telling me this?"

Marcus smiled a sick, contorted smile. "I'm making time, actually. As we speak, the rest of the guard is climbing the stairs. You might be able to hold back twenty vampires at once, but I doubt even _you_ can concentrate strongly enough to keep us all at bay. There will be no truce tonight, Isabella. Your job is done, it's time for you to join your precious Edward."

At that moment I heard them, at least fifty pairs of feet flying up the stairs. I looked around in panic trying to find a way out, a window I could jump out of or some other possible escape but I was trapped. The long hall had only small windows that I couldn't possibly fit through. I was considering trying to knock down a wall when my eyes came to rest on a small figure standing next to Marcus. She was a girl, tiny and statuesque. She didn't look a day older than twelve but her eyes screamed murder. As I watched, she started blinking quickly, and I realized that, in my panic, I'd forgotten to keep my power going.

As I heard the light steps coming closer I acted on impulse. Remembering Lestat's last advice I threw myself at the girl, grabbed her around the neck and held her small back to my chest.

"Nobody move!" I yelled again and every single occupant of the room, even the newcomers, stopped and stared at me.

I knew I wasn't forcing them to stand still and I desperately wondered what amazingly dangerous power the girl I was holding must posses to make them all stare in shock and fear.

"You should be very careful, Bella." The man named Aro waved a hand at me.

"No, you know what? _You_ should be careful because I'm getting very pissed." I tried to imitate Edward's growl. It sounded ridiculous to my ears, but it made the vampires back away a few steps.

The little girl in my arms was squirming, trying to get away from my grasp. I held her tight. She looked up at me with fire in her eyes.

"No, Jane. Don't." A third, brown-cloaked man who I assumed to be Caius instructed the girl. It was then I realized she'd tried to use her gift against me. Thankfully, that one apparently didn't work on me.

Feeling more daring that I had ever felt I turned to the girl and said. "You really shouldn't do that. I tend to amplify other people's powers when they least expect it."

"You don't want to do that, Bella. If you do, we all die, you included." Aro's voice was low but powerful.

"I don't mind dying if I get to take you all with me." I replied honestly. At least that way Edward would finally be safe. I was ready to die, ready and willing to kill us all right then. It even sounded like a good idea. If they were all dead, Edward would have no one to fight anymore. The world would finally be free of the Italian murderers. The war with the werewolves would end. Dying for the greater good. It sounded heroic, really.

"Stop!" Aro shook his head. "Stop! This is ridiculous. There is no reason for us to kill each other. We can work this out like civilized people."

"But we're not civilized people, are we? What exactly do you want to work out? You killed my friends, the love of my life and God knows how many others. You turned me into a monster!"

"Ah but we didn't do that, did we sweetheart?" Aro smiled at me. That only infuriated me further. "_You_ decided to become one of us. You _cho_seto become a so-called monster. _You_ and you alone decided to join our world and by doing so, you were then forced to accept our rules. The secrecy law is there for our protection, as well as for the protection of thousands of humans. Or would you like a repeat of the Inquisition? If you break the law, you get punished. I didn't see you trying to kill your President over the death penalty when you were a human. How is this different?"

I opened my mouth to reply and then closed it again. I was having a harder time than I should have with that argument. "The Vanbeaullens had nothing to do with that, you still killed them!" I finally answered.

"That was most unfortunate, but we _are_ in the middle of a war here and some casualties are to be expected."

I shook my head. "That doesn't give you the right..."

"Look, Bella, it's over. What's done is done. I'm going to make you an offer." Aro's smile turned kind, something I wasn't expecting. "I'm offering you a place here in our family. Join us and help us protect ourselves and others."

Caius looked outraged. Marcus threw his hands in the air, apparently done with the conversation as if we were discussing curtains. He turned around, grazed Aro's arm with his own, and walked away, down the hall and through a wooden door at the end. The rest of the vampires shared a look of confusion.

I was so shocked I couldn't even respond for a while. "I... no, thank you. I'd rather not."

Aro shrugged, "Fine then, just go."

"Aro!" Caius hissed. "We can't just let her go!"

"Would you rather be killed today, brother? She is ready to die for her family, she will not hesitate in taking us all with her. I believe we can live at peace for a while longer." Aro turned to me. "We will undoubtedly meet again, more than likely under unpleasant circumstances, but I see no need for any more deaths today."

I couldn't believe my ears. I blinked rapidly, wondering if I had fallen asleep on the plane and was dreaming the whole ordeal. Only when I remembered I could no longer sleep did I realize he was being serious.

"You're letting me go?"

"Yes." Aro nodded.

"And you'll leave my family alone?" I narrowed my eyes, it all sounded too good to be true.

"For now. The time will come for us to have this argument again. Right now, we have other problems to focus on."

"The war with the wolves. That too needs to be stopped..." I started but Aro raised a hand to silence me.

"That fight is not your own. Walk away from it. It will be over soon."

"But how can I let you continue killing all those men?"

Aro smiled at me like a teacher smiles at a student who asks an idealistic question. "You are not letting us do anything, Bella. Remember, it was not us who struck first. The werewolves started this fight. We're merely taking advantage of their stupidity. If you want to stop the war, you're barking up the wrong tree."

For a moment I considered doing the right thing. Amplifying whatever power the little girl I was holding possessed and killing us all. I knew that by letting them live I was giving them time to prepare. Time to seek me out later and finish me off with some clever plan I'd never see coming. And yet, I couldn't bring myself to do it.

What I wanted more than anything in the whole world right then was to go home, to fly back to my own country and find Edward. To tell him things were finally okay. To start my life with him.

And so, I released Jane.

Felix jumped on me before I could stop him. He laid a solid blow to my head with his elbow. The blow hurt more than it should have and it sent me staggering backwards into the wall of vampires that had formed behind me, blocking my path to the staircase.

"No, Felix!" Aro commanded. Felix stopped in his tracks and turned around to glance at his master.

"I meant what I said. We will let her free for now.

The vampires I'd fallen against steadied me and then stepped away. Aro waved his hand and the crowd cleared a path towards the stairs.

"I am a man of my word. If you leave now I promise you a safe path out of Volterra. We will get together and have a chat one of these days. For now, just stay out of our way and we will do the same."

I nodded at Aro. It all felt strangely surreal as I turned my back on him and walked down the stairs. I felt like running as fast as my legs could take me, but my muscles seemed to finally be catching up to the fear I'd been feeling. I was shaking all over and had to hold on to the wall for support as I descended.

While I walked I made excuses for myself, excuses I knew to be true. I could've killed us all that day and eventually, if I had to, I'd be able to do it again. I could borrow Alice's power from time to time and try to see if the Volturi were planning a visit. If that were ever the case, I'd go back to meet them in Volterra by myself. I'd never expose Edward to that danger.

As I reached the first floor I was filled with something I hadn't felt in a while -hope. The hope of seeing Edward again, of finally being happy.

I left the building. The girl behind the front desk stared at me curiously but didn't ask any questions. I walked back to where I'd parked the borrowed car. My thoughts drifted towards the werewolves and their participation in the war. As resentful as I felt towards the race in general for putting me in such a position I couldn't help but feel guilty about their imminent death.

A pair of hands grabbed my shoulders and pulled me into a dark alley. I screamed in fright before the hands twisted me around. I came face to face with a very angry Edward.

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"What are you doing here, Bella?" He pushed me against a wall and shook me. He shook me so hard my teeth rattled.

"Edward!" I shrieked. As glad as I was to see him again, I found myself pushing him away, trying to get him further into the shadows. "You can't be here!"

"I can't be here? I CAN'T BE HERE!?" He yelled and continued to shake me. "You can't be here! What are you doing? What did you come here to do?!" He was so mad, so furious, that for a moment I thought he was going to slap me.

"I came here to save your life!" I hissed at him. "And so far I'm doing a pretty damn good job!" I pushed him away from me so hard that he released me and fell backwards against the opposite wall of the alley.

We stared at each other, panting and furious, and then we collided. I threw myself at him and he caught me by the waist, lifting me up so my mouth could meet his. He assaulted me with his kisses, biting my lip and growling against my mouth. He pushed me against the wall and I wrapped my legs around his waist, holding him as close to me as possible. I lost myself in his arms and for a moment that felt like hours, I forgot where we were standing.

Reality kicked in as we came up for unnecessary air. I pressed my forehead against his, breathing hard. "We need to get you out of here." I whispered fervently. I untangled myself from him and started pulling him towards the car.

"No, Bella." He resisted "I need you to go. I have to keep going."

"Keep going where?" I dragged him with me. "It's over! It's all over. Please just come with me and I'll explain to you later."

Edward shook his head and, at the same time, shook off my hand. "No Bella. It won't be over until I turn myself in. I have to go to them, it's the only way you'll be safe."

"Oh, Edward." I grabbed his hands and forced him to look into my eyes. "Edward, you are already dead." I could tell he couldn't understand what I was telling him, but I took advantage of his confusion to drag him to the car and push him in. "Stay there!" I told him forcefully. He obeyed against his will.

"Where is the rest of the family?" I asked him once we were both safely in the car.

"I lost them at the airport. I stole a gun from a police officer, placed it in the pocket of a jacket Emmett was carrying and then tipped off airport security. Hopefully that's stalled them long enough for you to explain what the hell is going on."

"I will explain if you duck down, keep out of sight and let me drive." I commanded.

Seeing as how he had no choice, Edward did as I told him and, while I drove away from the nightmare that was Volterra, I started to explain.

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Two weeks later I sat on my hands as Edward drove us back to the green town we knew so well. He wasn't happy about it, but I needed to go back.

I'd thought about just calling Charlie, leaving a message on his answering machine or something, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I had to see with my own eyes that he was doing okay. I knew talking to him in person was out of the question -he'd never let me leave with Edward. It would do more damage to him than good. But I still had to go home. There were things I needed to finish.

I stared out the window as he drove. I felt him take my hand and I turned to face him. "Bella, are you sure you're ready for this?" Edward asked me for the tenth time. I nodded but couldn't find my voice. He sighed and stepped on the gas pedal. We sped by the "Welcome to Forks" sign.

He knew where I wanted to stop first so he parked the new Mercedes by the side of the road and turned to me. "Do you want me to come with you?" I'd already told him I wanted to go alone and he hadn't liked the idea from the start.

"No Edward. Can you just... wait for me?" I got out of the car and he followed me but made no movement to go after me once I'd retrieved the flowers from the back seat. He leaned against the side door looking around sourly. I knew he was scanning the place for werewolves but something in my gut told me we'd find none that day.

I pulled my raincoat around me tightly in a very human gesture as I walked slowly to the fallen log on the side of the road. Mud splashed all around my ankles as I walked but I barely noticed.

I reached the log and sat down, pulling my raincoat down and allowing the rain to soak me through. The water felt neither cold nor warm, a testament to what I'd become. I glanced down at the white and yellow freesias in my hands.

"I didn't want to bring you flowers. It feels like such a waste to get you something that will eventually die. Then I realized, as Edward once pointed out to me, that they are already dead." I smiled sadly at the delicate petals. "He told me to enjoy the beauty of flowers while it lasted. I realized that -even though the flowers are dead, I can remember their beauty."

I looked down at the empty space next to me and sighed. "I will always remember your beauty, Jacob." My voice broke and I was overcome with tearless sobs. There were many things I still couldn't understand, like why he'd done what he did or if he'd known what it would cause, but I couldn't deny to myself the fact that he'd been a wonderful boy. A boy that could no longer laugh contagiously or take care of his father. A boy that would never go to college, or get married or have children. And it was because of something I'd done. Or, at the very least, because of what I'd become.

"Bella?" Edward's voice startled me. I looked up into his sad eyes. "We need to keep going, love. Before somebody notices us."

I nodded and stood up, placing the flowers on the log and smiling sadly. Edward wrapped his arm around my drenched shoulders and held me as I continued to stare at the empty space that had once been occupied by a childhood friend.

"He didn't deserve this," I whispered.

"Neither did you." Edward's tortured voice made my insides clench. He sounded so remorseful.

"I wish I could talk to him one last time. Ask him..."

"Why he killed himself?" Edward filled in.

I shook my head. "Ask him for forgiveness."

As we stood there I realized it'd stopped raining. I looked up at the sky just in time to see the first perfect white snowflake falling down towards us.

Edward looked up too, and in no time we were surrounded by powdery white snow. He looked down into my eyes and smiled. "If I were you, I'd take this as an answer to your question."

I smiled back at him and allowed him to guide me back to the car. We still had other stops to make.

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Charlie wasn't home. I hadn't expected him to be and I was glad for his absence. I walked through the house, saying my final goodbyes too the yellow cupboards and the mismatched kitchen chairs. I smiled at the school photos that adorned the living room. I had been so embarrassed by them a year ago. Now all I could think about was how I wished I'd left Charlie with more.

I felt like I'd aged fifty years in the past month alone. I'd seen so many atrocities, so many deaths. In the few weeks I'd been away from that house I'd lost all innocence. I was sure if my father were to see me again, he wouldn't recognize me. I was no longer the daughter he once knew.

My still heart had twisted in my chest when I'd seen the dozens of newspapers scattered around the living room floor. Charlie had moved my computer downstairs and it sat on a desk next to the TV, surrounded by empty coffee mugs. The VCR was recording something. I guessed it was probably the news.

He'd been looking for me. I'd been expecting that.

I stared at myself in the living room mirror. My drenched hair looked darker, which made me seem even paler than I normally did. The purple shadows under my eyes accentuated the burgundy edge that peeked out from beneath my brown contacts. I was wearing simple clothes, a pair of jeans and a brown sweater that was so wet it clung to me.

I felt so out of place in my father's house that I didn't dare linger around any longer. I felt like an intruder to his misery. I clutched the letter I'd written for him to my chest. Thanks to Alice's suggestion I'd wrapped the envelope in a plastic bag before stuffing it in my back pocket.

I unwrapped it then and took it to the kitchen where I fastened it to the fridge with a magnet. The envelope read one simple word: _Dad_.

I turned around and walked away from the house, hand in hand with Edward who had remained quiet through the whole ordeal. I had explained as much as I could in the letter and I hoped it would bring my father some peace. I figured he'd show the letter to Renee. I knew they'd never get over losing me, but I hoped desperately that they'd eventually accept that I was gone for good and move on with their lives.

We got in the car and drove away. I never looked back. We had one more stop to make.

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We parked in front of the huge white house that was more our home than anywhere else in the world right then.

"There are not many things left in the house. I need to get Carlisle's cross and a few of his books." Edward handed me a list of titles. "Would you go up to the study and grab those for me while I pack up the basement?"

I nodded. Edward kissed my forehead and grazed my cheeks with his knuckles. "Some of your clothes are still in our drawers in case you feel like changing into something dry."

I nodded again and he guided me into the house. As soon as he opened the door he stiffened. I stopped too, wondering what had made him stand so still. Only after I took a breath did I realize, it smelled like warm, human blood.

"Who's here?" I whispered fervently.

Then I heard the squeak of wheels moving around in the kitchen. I frowned and walked forward but Edward caught me by the wrist and held me back.

"Let me go first." He whispered back. I nodded and followed him as we crossed the living room. I already knew what was waiting for us, but I didn't really believe it until I saw it with my own eyes.

"Billy?" I frowned.

The older man looked downright miserable -several pounds lighter than the last time we'd seen him. His skin seemed to hang off his bones, which only accentuated his grave expression. He sat on his chair, unshaven and unkempt, and looked up at us.

"Bella. I've been waiting for you."

"How did you know we'd..." But Billy interrupted me with a shake of his head.

"That's not important now. I need to talk to you." He sounded so... old. His usually young eyes seemed ancient now, as if he were carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.

"Billy..." I couldn't think of anything to say to him, so I just hung my head in shame and whispered so low I wasn't sure he'd hear me. "I'm so sorry."

Edward placed his hand on the small of my back. I took comfort in his touch.

"Bella, that's what I came here to talk to you about. I think you deserve to know."

"Know what?" I asked.

"That this whole mess was not your fault." I tried to keep myself from snorting. I'd been hearing that line so much lately it'd started making me feel worse instead of better. But then, Billy surprised me. Staring down at his hands he said, "It was mine."

That made me look up. I was about to reply when Edward beat me to it. "What do you mean?"

Billy sighed and motioned to the kitchen chairs next to his wheelchair. Edward looked apprehensive, but I sat down and he followed.

"Many years ago, my brother lost his son. Ephraim was only five years old when he became the victim of a vampire attack. It was quite random. The whole family was camping up north, Ephraim wandered off on his own when my brother was asleep. He found him, hours later. He went looking for the vampire who did it but he couldn't... there were no werewolves in the tribe at the time. When the Cullens," he nodded in Edward's direction, "moved to town he was so mad he left. He wanted more than anything to start the war, to avenge his son's death. I wouldn't let him, I knew he was doing it for the wrong reasons."

Billy paused to take a shaky breath. I could feel a knot in my stomach, tightening at the thought of losing a son at the hands of your mortal enemy.

"He came back last year. I knew he hadn't accepted your presence, but I never thought... Jacob was very taken to him, as my brother was to my boy. They spent most of their time together, supposedly taking long walks on the beach or hiking, things that I couldn't do with them. After Jacob..." Billy swallowed back tears. I felt a burning in the back of my throat that had nothing to do with thirst. "After what happened, I got suspicious. My brother all but confirmed my awful theory."

Edward leaned forward on his seat and took my hand. It was only then that I noticed I was holding on to the counter so hard I was denting the wood.

"My brother was so consumed by his grief that I believe he convinced Jacob of the "evilness" of your kind. I think he brainwashed him into thinking that the war needed to happen, that it was all for the greater good. They must've planned it for months, researched all the legends, figuring out a way to make it all fit. The doctors confirmed the original cut in Jake's throat was made by a piece of glass."

Billy's watery eyes stared right into my own. "He killed himself, didn't he, Bella?"

"He cut his own throat, yes." I whispered.

Billy sighed and stared at his hands. "I don't blame you, Bella. But at the same time I can't forgive you. I did warn you, begged you even, to not become..." He broke off. I stared down at my own hands and squeezed Edward's fingers.

Billy was silent for a long time. When he spoke again his voice was calm, under control. "I came here to ask you for a favor, Bella."

Edward tensed next to me and became very still. Whatever Billy was about to say, I knew Edward wasn't going to like it.

"I need you to stop this. To stop my brother before it ends in even more tragedy."

I sighed. Somehow I'd seen that one coming. "Billy... I don't know if there's anything I can do." I started but Billy interrupted.

"There is something about you, Bella. Something about you that makes me feel like you're the only one who can end the war."

Why did people keep telling me that? Why didn't anyone understand that I was just a kid! In the end, I was just an eighteen year old girl who had randomly ended up in the middle of a conflict. It could've happened to anyone!

"Billy, I tried already. I talked to people, I made the effort. It's out of my hands. It was never _in_ my hands to begin with!"

"I know you didn't sign up for this exactly, but there must be something you can..."

"Billy," Edward interrupted for the first time. "I'm sorry. I really am, but this really has nothing to do with her, with us. As much as we'd like to help... you can't ask her to put herself in danger to undo something your brother caused. I'm sorry, but she's in enough danger as it is."

Edward was right. Even though my safety wasn't the reason why I couldn't help Billy, it _was_ part of the reason why I couldn't even try. If I were to take sides, either with the vampires or the wolves, Edward would join me. I couldn't have him that close to a battlefield. Not when I had just gotten him back. Not when he would surely be killed if he were recognized.

Billy sighed and closed his eyes. He looked so defeated, so _small_. Remorse crept up on me once again. I'd done that, I'd broken him. His whole race was going to become extinct because of my moment of weakness.

I bit my lip so hard it hurt and then I whispered. "I'll talk to your brother."

"Bella..." Edward started to object but I shook my head. "I won't join the fight. I won't put myself in danger. I will talk to the pack of Quileute wolves, explain the situation to them. It's all I can do."

Billy shook his head. "They didn't listen to me. Why would they listen to a young vampire like yourself?"

"Because I can _make_ them listen."

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Edward wasn't happy about it. Which wasn't new. He'd wanted to call the others, to make things more even, but I knew the wolves wouldn't be able to resist attacking us if they saw a coven as large as ours. Plus, I wasn't sure I could keep everyone in check. Emmett at least was bound to make an impulsive move that could get him hurt.

We walked, hand in hand, deep into the forest and waited to cross paths with the werewolf scent. We were trying to get as deep into the woods as we could. As far away from human collateral as possible.

It didn't take long. Edward, who knew the woods much better than I did, was guiding me towards a small clearing when he stiffened.

"They're close." He heard their thoughts before I could smell them. Their scent was powerful. It overshadowed the other smells of the forest.

Before long I could hear the soft steps of many feet running towards us at top speed. In the near dark I managed to get a glimpse of several pairs of eyes, hurrying in our direction. It was a surprisingly clear night. The light from the moon helped me see my targets -something I was grateful for, considering I'd never tested my powers in the dark-.

A pair of excited blue eyes were in the lead. The enormous wolf was growling before he even came into view. I could feel the rumbling of the ground as the pack got closer. The rumble of their chests, the snapping of their teeth, it made me nervous. My whole body tensed for the attack. Edward sank into a crouch in front of me, growling just as hard as the beasts.

Once they were close enough for me to see them completely I held up my hand.

"Stop." I whispered.

The whole pack stopped in their tracks, some falling sideways, unable to maintain their balance after such an abrupt command. Billy's brother came to a screeching halt a couple of yards away from me.

I exhaled in relief, glad my gift worked as well on them as it did on everybody else.

"Sit." I commanded and the ten or so werewolves sat on the ground immediately. It would've been funny if the situation hadn't been so tense. "We are going to have a little chat."

Edward relaxed. He stood up straight, his eyes calm but guarded, and he went to stand beside me. He placed his hand on the small of my back, slipping it under my shirt to touch my bare skin. My breath caught in my throat. If I'd been human my heart would've been racing erratically. I tried to suppress the embarrassing reactions I normally had to his touch. That was neither the time nor the place to go all lovey dovey.

I thought he was just placing his hand on my back to give me moral support, but when my eyes finally met his he was staring at me with intensity, trying to communicate some sort of message. I finally realized what he wanted, mentally slapping myself for being so slow in a time of crisis.

I concentrated on tapping into Edward's power so I could communicate with the werewolves. At once, ten different voices flooded my mind, and they were all cursing like truckers.

I winced and Edward stared at me apologetically.

"I need you to hear me out for a moment. I swear if we can behave like the civilized... creatures that we are, no one will get hurt."

The swearing only got louder. Edward dropped his hand and stared at the wolves. "If you people can't behave yourselves, we are going to be here for a long time. You might have realized by now, she can keep you all here for as long as she wants. Hell, she can even make you tap-dance if she gets bored. Just hear what she has to say and we will be on our way." He gave them a menacing look that would've made me recoil if it'd been directed at me. He waited for a minute and then touched my skin again.

They weren't swearing anymore. I took that as a good sign.

"Listen. I know you all think you're fighting a fair fight. I know you believe you can finish off the vampires of the world. Get rid of the threat, have a normal, happy life. I'm here to tell you that's not going to happen."

The swearing started again. They were all yelling at me at the same time, I couldn't understand a thing. Edward tried to remove his hand again but I shook my head.

"I can't understand you when you all speak to me at the same time. Please, only one at a time." It was a request, not an order. Something told me that forcing them to be quiet would put a serious damper on the negotiations. They seemed startled when I spoke to them directly. It took me a second to realize they didn't know I could read their thoughts.

"We can and we _will_ finish you off, bloodsucker. Along with your whole race!" It was Billy's brother who finally "spoke", the biggest wolf, the leader.

"Really? Because right now it doesn't look like you can do much of anything." I snapped. The wolves were immobile, but I could still read the confusion in their eyes when I responded directly to their leader's thoughts.

"This thing that I can do? Bend your free will, force you to do what I want. That's just the tip of the iceberg. Your numbers are already down and you haven't even fought the hard fights. You've been battling against bounty hunters, vampires with no special talents that were looking for a reward. Most of them were not even aware of what was going on!"

There was a murmur among the pack as the wolves started to consider the truth in my words. I couldn't hear every conversation. I could make out a few phrases like "you told us the worst was over" and "I thought we were near the end. "

"I came here today to let you know that there are a lot more vampires than you think. They outnumber you. Not only that, but a lot of them have talents like mine. They can burn you alive, they can read your thoughts." I nodded my head in the direction of Edward, who was still staring coldly at them all. He could probably catch every single conversation going on. He had decades of practice on me.

"The vampires _will_ use their talents to kill you. And if you make them come all the way over here to do it they will probably get rid of your whole families too!"

"We can protect ourselves!" The blue eyes pierced through mine with such fury I almost flinched.

The other wolves weren't as sure as their leader. I could tell most of them had never heard of our special gifts. Many of them feared for their families.

"You can end this now. You can choose not to fight anymore. Declare a truce, do it now while you still can and you might be able to save your race." I pleaded.

Only the leader remained convinced of his cause by then. The others began to doubt.

"I'm going to let you go now." I said. Edward's arm tightened around me in disapproval but I gave him a look. How could we expect the wolves to trust us if we didn't show them trust in return?

And so I relinquished my control on their minds. No one moved for a moment, and then the wolves slowly started to get up. They stood around us, not getting closer but not leaving either.

"I can put you in contact with the vampires in charge, but you have to promise me you'll only contact them to make peace. I will not put you in more danger, if you were to try and fight them... well it would be suicide. I can't promise you they'll take a truce, but I'm sure it's your only fighting chance."

I was pretty sure Aro would find a truce with the werewolves "interesting" at the very least. Either way it was the most I could do for them. If it didn't work... well they were as good as dead anyway, it was only a matter of time.

I let go of Edward and took a step forward. I didn't want to hear the voices of the werewolves anymore. They were too many, it was too confusing. Edward growled and tried to yank me back but I shook my head. I knew what I was doing. Edward took a deep breath and gave me a look that clearly told me he was not happy with the risks I was taking.

"If you're willing to try and make a truce, please sit down." I tried to keep my voice from shaking with little success. Minutes passed in absolute stillness.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, a small black wolf sank down to the ground. One by one, the rest of the pack followed until only their leader remained standing.

I turned to him, determined to make him understand. "I am very sorry for your loss, for everything that my species has taken away from you. But you have to understand, you'll lose a lot more if you keep this up."

He stared at me with hatred, and I could tell he wasn't going to give up.

"You can't fight without an army." I pointed out.

His eyes blazed with fury and for a moment I was afraid he was going to take a snap at me. I had my arms halfway up to protect myself when he turned around and ran, dashing into the woods so fast I didn't even have time to react.

He ran away from us, away from his home once again. I stood there and listened to his footsteps until he was too far away for me to hear.

I closed my eyes and felt Edward as he encircled me in his arms. I leaned back against his chest before turning to the rest of the wolves and saying.

"Okay, I'm going to need a pen."

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The tiny rays of light that indicated the beginning of a new day started to peek through our white curtains. I buried my face in a fluffy pillow that smelled strongly of Edward and smiled. Gentle fingers caressed my exposed back and I just had to grin. Life couldn't possibly get any better than that.

"Bella?" Edward whispered against my shoulder.

I smiled and answered "Hm?"

"Are you asleep?"

I chuckled at his little joke. "Yes, as a matter of fact I am. I'm dreaming of fried fish and chocolate pudding."

Edward grinned against my skin. "You just looked so... peaceful."

"I feel peaceful. In fact, I feel perfect."

Edward slid the bedsheet lower down my back and kissed my exposed skin. "You _are_ perfect."

I stretched and pretended to yawn. Edward laughed softly.

"What were you thinking?" Edward's velvet voice interrupted my musings.

"That I don't ever want to leave this bed." I turned my head to the side so I could see his gorgeous features.

Edward's smile widened and he leaned down to kiss me. "That can be arranged."

"You think we could get some room service? Maybe a cow or two?" I joked and he growled, tickling me gently.

I laughed and turned on my back. He rolled on top of me and pinned me down, taking both my hands in one of his and trapping them above my head. He nuzzled my neck and I gasped, amazed at how alive he made me feel, how his touch seemed to ignite my cold skin.

"I love you so much I'd starve for you." He whispered against my collarbone.

"Oh yeah? Well I love you so much I'd eat tofu for you." I answered and he laughed. His beautiful, heartbreaking smile made me weak in the knees.

I glanced out the window. It was the beginning of a whole new day in our own private heaven. The little piece of island that we, along with the rest of the Cullens, had rented out in the Caribbean sparkled with the morning sun.

"Where's the rest of the family?" I asked Edward.

"If you're worried about the noise, they've gone hiking. Emmett wanted to explore the local fauna. They won't hear us even if you want to be as loud as you were the other night."

I squirmed with embarrassment. I might not be able to blush anymore, but as it turns out embarrassment can be shown in a lot of different ways. Edward laughed, lifting my chin with his index finger and placing a delicate kiss on my lips.

"You know what?" I asked when he finally let me go.

"What?" He kissed my cheek, my chin, my nose.

"I want to see the sunrise."

Edward lifted himself off me, all smiles. He loved watching me sparkle in the sun. He rose from the bed and looked around for the pants he'd been wearing the day before. I wrapped the white bed sheet around myself and walked out the little cottage hand in hand with him.

We reached the edge of the sand. The warm blue water touched our toes as Edward stood behind me, his arms around my waist. He rested his chin on my shoulder as we both watched the sun slowly coloring the horizon.

I felt a strong vibration coming from his pants and frowned. A second later his jeans started to sing.

Edward reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, silver cell phone. Frowning, he lifted it to his ear.

"Hello?" He answered. His frown deepened as he handed the phone to me.

"Hello?" I answered with hesitation.

"Bella! My dear!" It was a voice I recognized, and not one that I expected to hear again anytime soon.

"Lestat?" I was very confused.

"Yes dear, how are you? I've been trying to track you down for ages! Listen, I need to ask you, where the hell are you?"

"I'm... what... how did you get this number?" I stared at Edward and he shrugged his shoulders. Apparently he'd never given it to him.

"Oh that's not important. What _is_ important is you dear! Where on earth did you sneak off to? I've been getting endless calls about you! Not knowing where you are is certainly not doing wonders to my reputation."

"Wonders to your... what?" I was so confused.

"Everyone is talking about you dear! I've gotten endless calls and visits. So many people want to join your family! You know, this awesome power of yours... it's bound to stir up some controversy. Everyone wants you!"

"Me?" I shrieked.

"I've been toying around with a few names for you guys. Some people are calling you The Other Family, but that's just putting unnecessary pressure on you guys. Even though Vampire Queen has also been thrown around and that's not exactly setting low expectations. I was thinking something along the lines of 'New World Family', that way the Volturi can remain the 'Old World Family', maybe that won't make them as mad. They can be so European, the snobs. This way if we ever get another vampire prodigy from, let's say, Asia, they can be the 'Asian family'! But that would make you the 'American family' and that sounds too much like a sitcom..."

I snapped the phone shut, groaning in despair. "This sounds like trouble." I said to Edward.

The phone rang again. Edward took it from me and threw it into the ocean before answering, "Oh Bella, with you, everything is always trouble."

He kissed my neck and I smiled as the sun rose on my new, and probably complicated life.

**THE END**

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Yes, the end the end. Nightfall is done! I really need to thank my betas because without them this thing would just be a mess of weird words and incorrect grammar ;)

Second, I want to thank all of the readers. If you've read this far I'll love you forever ;) Thank you so much for sticking with me even though I started writing this a year and a half ago. Even though nothing fits with New Moon and Eclipse. Even though I killed Jacob off somewhere around chapter ten and, most importantly, even though it took me looong months to update. You guys are my rock and my inspiration. I dedicate this last chapter to every single one of you who took the time to write a review.

I love you with all my heart. And just so you know, this is not the end of my Twilight fanfics. You _will_ hear from me again (for better or worse ;))

Nightfall was a pleasure to write. I can only hope you enjoyed reading it too.

- Black Angel


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